ISIS threat to EU chiefs: Chauffeurs for MEPs ‘found with terror propaganda in cars’
TWO chauffeurs employed to drive EU MPs around in Brussels have been caught with propaganda material of the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group, it has been claimed.
Police are investigating two EU chauffeurs over ISIS material
The drivers worked in both Brussels and Strasbourg, the twin seats of the EU parliament, according to Germany's Der Spiegel.
Outsourcing to private taxi firms will now be eliminated, it is understood.
According to the magazine, the propaganda material was on CD disks and triggered alarm among security officials.
Both employees of the private chauffeur service were fired and police are investigating.
The chauffeurs were outsourced from private firms
Dramatic moment ISIS suspect 'planning terror attacks in Europe' is arrested
After obtaining information that other chauffeurs in the service had criminal records, the European Parliament Presidium made the decision on April 11 to discontinue the use of private driving services and will instead hire its chauffeurs as direct employees of parliament in the future.
The decision to discontinue the use of private drivers will cost the European Parliament an additional £3million a year.
There are currently 65 drivers working for the EU legislative body in Brussels on behalf of 751 MPs and 85 in Strasbourg.
The drivers worked across the Brussels (pictured) and Strasbourg buildings
There are currently 65 drivers working for the 85 MPs in Strasbourg (pictured) and 751 in Brussels
Najim Laachraoui was said to have had a summer holiday job cleaning at the parliament for one month in 2009 and one month in 2010.
The two drivers caught with ISIS material worked for Biribin Limousines, which dismissed the report saying: "There has never been anything untoward found in our cars.”
The EU refused to comment saying it never remarked on “questions of security.”
Najim Laachraoui was said to have had a summer holiday job cleaning at the parliament for one month in 2009 and one month in 2010.