The man spent six months in Syria last year taking part in militant groups’ fighting against President Bashar al-Assad's government, the prosecutor said in a statement.

As part of an undercover operation upon his return, he told police that he could obtain weapons and acquired a shotgun, a Magnum revolver and a small handgun.

Police arrested him on May 15 as he was allegedly on his way to carry out a robbery at a yacht marina in Scheveningen, a coastal suburb of The Hague.

He has been remanded in custody and faces charges of planning a terrorist attack and illegal firearms possession.

"He wanted to use the spoils from the hold-up to finance international terrorism," the prosecutor's office said.

Spokesman Wim de Bruin told AFP that he wanted the money "for the fight in Syria".

More than 100 young Dutch citizens have so far travelled to Syria to fight against Assad's army in the three-year foreign backed conflict in which more than 162,000 people have died, according to NGO estimates.

NJF/NJF