An international criminal organization involved in drug trafficking in Brussels has been dismantled in a major police operation, the Brussels prosecutor’s office said, The Brussels Times reported on June 25.
“Members of the network did not hesitate to resort to armed violence, including attempted murder and kidnapping, to intimidate their rivals and force them to surrender.”said the prosecutor.
The operation, which lasted several months, required close cooperation between several police departments. Police carried out several simultaneous raids, arrested key members of the network and seized drugs, weapons and money. A dozen people were jailed.
The investigation also revealed that the organisation had close links with other criminal groups in France, particularly in Marseille, where arrests were also made.
In February, it was reported that security problems had worsened in the Peterbos area of Anderlecht due to the activities of a drug gang with links to Marseille. The situation worsened following a series of shootings in the Anderlecht and Saint-Gilles areas, which left one person dead.
A few months ago, Peterbos became one of 15 drug-related “hotspots” identified by the Brussels Security Council.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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