opgepakte

Opgepakte is a Dutch term formed from oppakken (to pick up, seize or arrest) and the past participle gepakt, used as the base form opgepakt. When used attributively to modify a noun, it typically appears as opgepakte, as in de opgepakte verdachte or de opgepakte personen. The term designates a person who has been apprehended by police or other authorities and is in custody or under investigation. It signals the status of the person in relation to law enforcement, but it does not convey guilt or a legal outcome.

In practice, an opgepakte person may be questioned, released, charged, or placed in detention according to applicable procedural rules. In the Netherlands, for example, a suspect can be held for questioning and may be subject to voorlopige hechtenis (pre-trial detention) by a judge if there are sufficient grounds. In other jurisdictions the procedural details can differ, but the core idea remains: opgepakte refers to the act of being detained for investigation or questioning.

Etymology and usage notes: The form stems from the verb oppakken; the prefix op- with ge- plus pak- yields opgepakt, used in past tense, and its attributive adjective form "opgepakte" is common in journalistic and legal language. The term is widely used in Dutch-language reporting on crime and policing.