Dutch ousted 2 Russians over alleged Swiss lab hack attempt

Switzerland's intelligence agency says Dutch authorities arrested and expelled two suspected Russian spies who allegedly tried to hack a Swiss laboratory that conducts tests for the UN-backed chemical weapons watchdog.

The Federal Intelligence Service says it worked "actively" with British and Dutch partners on the case involving Switzerland's Spiez Laboratory that led to the arrests of two Russians.

The lab provides arms control and other services The agency confirmation on Friday came after Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad and Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported that two Russians suspected of being agents of military intelligence service GRU were kicked out of the Netherlands earlier this year as a result of a Europe-wide investigation.

The Swiss attorney general's office confirmed it had identified "two individuals" as part of a broader investigation opened last year.