The Dutch government is planning to give mobile devices to 125 police officers so they can scan the fingerprints of detainees to help catch and deport illegal immigrants.

The devices are expected to speed up the current process where police take suspected immigrants into custody to check their fingerprints against an immigration database.

The new tests, announced Wednesday, are part of the Netherlands' decade-long crackdown on illegal immigration.

The Dutch government made carrying ID documents mandatory in 2005, and started storing citizens' fingerprints in 2006. Legal immigrants and asylum-seekers are also fingerprinted.

Dutch media say testing will continue into 2012, before a decision is made whether to expand the program.