A 19-year-old student carrying a fake pistol who forced his way into the Dutch national broadcaster is being held in custody as police investigate his motives.

Prosecutors and police have not identified the man, who was pictured pacing around a TV studio holding what appeared to be a pistol fitted with a silencer after demanding airtime at the NOS broadcaster's headquarters in Hilversum.

Dutch media have widely reported his name as Tarik Z, a student at the Delft Technical University.

The incident does not appear to have links to Islamic terrorism.

The Dutch minister for security and justice Ivo Opstelten said initial investigations suggested the teenager was acting alone.

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