Dienst Speciale Interventies

In 1973, the first Dutch counter-terrorist unit was established under the name Special Support Unit-Marines (Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid Mariniers, BBE-M). The unit was established in response to the Munich massacre, and the rising threat of terrorism throughout Europe. The members of the new unit were recruited from the Netherlands Marine Corps. In 2005, the BBE-M was renamed to Unit Intervention Marines (UIM), and was once again renamed to M-Squadron with the creation of NLMARSOF in 2013.

Following the establishment of the BBE-M, two additional units consisting of snipers were founded; the Special Support Unit-Police (Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid Politie, BBE-P) and the Special Support Unit-Military (Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid Krijgsmacht, BBE-K). Personnel of the BBE-P was recruited from the police, while personnel of the BBE-K was recruited from the Netherlands armed forces. With the establishment of the DSI, the two units were merged into the Unit Expertise and Operational Support (Afdeling Expertise & Operationele Ondersteuning, AE&OO).

In addition, the Special Support Unit-Rapid Intervention Unit (BBE-Snelle Interventie Eenheid, BBE-SIE) was created. The BBE-SIE consisted of both law enforcement and military personnel and functioned as a rapidly deployable counter-terrorist unit. The tasks of the BBE-SIE were transferred to the Unit Intervention with the establishment of the DSI.

During the end of the 1960s an operational need developed for units capable of handling the increasingly violent organized crime. In 1969, the municipal police of the city of Arnhem founded the Special Missions Unit. Several districts of the Rijkspolitie established comparable units. In 1973, one of the units was labeled Arrestatieteam (Arrest Team, AT). This development led to the creation of the first comprehensive AT training courses within the Rijkspolitie in 1978. Consequently, the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of the Interior wrote legislation which corroborated the founding of four ATs within the Rijkspolitie, and six ATs within the municipal police forces of the large cities. The legislation included regulation which stated that the ATs could be deployed exclusively for the arrest of suspects known for illegal gun possession, while requiring permission of the public prosecutor as well.

With the reorganisation of the Dutch police in 1994, the ATs of both the Rijkspolitie and municipal police were restructured to form six interregional ATs. In addition, the AT of the Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten (BSB) of the Royal Marechaussee was incorporated as well.

The DSI was established in 2006 in order to improve the joint deployments of the several police tactical units. Points of improvement became apparent after the problematic siege of a house in The Hague which was part of operations aimed at the arrest of terrorists belonging to the Hofstad Network.

To prevent these situations, the DSI unified law enforcement and military tasks in one organisation. The goal of this unification was to increase both interoperability and efficiency, and to combine the specialisations of both the police and the military. Following a confidential experts report, the Second Balkenende cabinet decided to implement a revision of the Bijzondere Bijstandseenheid, the spearhead counter-terrorism unit at the time. The DSI unofficially commenced operations in 2005, the formal establishment took place on 1 July 2006, and was at that time part of the KLPD.[3]

In 2007 a report surfaced that found that the DSI suffered from personnel shortages. This shortage was partly caused by a relatively large outflow of personnel. Personnel leaving the service often stated that a lack of deployments was the main reason for their departure. The government commission tasked with evaluating the effectiveness, however, found that the general consensus was that the service functioned in a good manner. The commission was enthusiastic about the cooperation among police and military personnel.

Following the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in 2015, the need arose for a flexible and mobile teams of special forces in the Netherlands. Subsequently, the Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) were established. The RRTs consist of both police and military personnel. Additionally, the DSI received a considerable and structural budget increase.

With the establishment of the National Police Corps in 2013 the regular Arrest Teams were placed under the command of the DSI.[4]

Weapons in use include, among others:

Name	Origin	Type	Cartridge	Image	Details
Taser X2	United States	Electroshock weapon	Electrodes		Issued to Arrest Teams, used to incapacitate suspect using an electroshock.
Glock 17	Austria	Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum		Standard issue pistol within DSI. Fitted with a laser light module.
Mossberg 590	United States	Pump-action shotgun	12 gauge		Used with bean bag munition to incapacitate suspects, and with buckshot for door breaching.
FN P90	Belgium	Personal defense weapon	FN 5.7×28mm		Fitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module. Exclusively used by M-Squadron.
Heckler & Koch MP5	Germany	Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum		Fitted with optics and a laser light module.
Heckler & Koch MP7	Germany	Personal defense weapon	HK 4.6×30mm		Fitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module.
Heckler & Koch HK416	Germany	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO		Fitted with a suppressor, optics and a laser light module.
Heckler & Koch G28	Germany	Battle rifle	7.62×51mm NATO		Fitted with a Hensoldt ZF 3.5-26x56 telescopic sight, a SPUHR scope mount, 45º red dot sight, Wilcox RAPTAR-S Rangefinder, LAW Tactical Gen 3 folding stock adapter, suppressor met Manta Suppressor Cover.
SIG MCX	Switzerland	Assault rifle	.300 AAC Blackout		Fitted with the SIG Sauer Suppressed Upper Receiver (SUR), an integral suppressor. In addition, it is fitted with a Magpul stock, SIG Sauer optics and a laser light module.
Sako TRG 22/42	Finland	Sniper rifle	.300 Winchester Magnum .338 Lapua Magnum		Fitted with a telescopic sight, exclusively used by snipers of AE&OO.
Milkor MGL	South Africa	Grenade launcher	40 mm grenade		Fitted with an optic.

The DSI use armoured versions of civilian vehicles to perform their tasks. During on-call duties, during which operators are available for 24 hours, DSI personnel have access to a personal service car. All DSI personnel attend a multiple week specialised driving course. Operators learn to maneuver the vehicle in a quick and safe manner. In an addition, the impact of the additional weight of the armour on the driving characteristics are addressed. Furthermore, car procedures are trained to subdue suspects in cars. The DSI has access to a large and diverse car fleet:

The DSI fleet includes multiple armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Lenco BearCats and Lenco Bears are deployed during high risk interventions, certain firearm incidents, and large scale terrorist attacks. A number of vehicles are fitted with the Mobile Adjustable Ramp System or Articulating Ramp Conversion, produced by the American firm PATRIOT3. This system uses hydraulic ramps to enable raids at high altitudes. For potential aircraft hijacking, the DSI has access to multiple YPR-765 AAVs (Aircraft Assault Vehicle) of the Royal Marechaussee, a tracked light armored vehicle that is fitted with steps and ramps at airplane height.

Multiple motorcycles are in use within the DSI. Predominantly KTM and BMW motorcycles are used.

Three AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters Dienst Luchtvaartpolitie are available for the Quick Reaction Air (QRA) to respond to incidents that require a larger presence of personnel.