crime
Raid in Belgium’s drug scene: police officers arrested
A total of 22 people have been arrested in a crackdown on organized drug crime in Belgium. photo
© Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
Belgium is considered one of the most important transshipment points for drugs in Europe. During a major operation involving more than 350 officers, the police also took some of their colleagues into custody.
According to the information, more than 350 officers were involved in the raids, which focused on Brussels and Antwerp, including special forces to arrest potentially dangerous people. A total of 45 search warrants were issued. The investigators confiscated, among other things, money, luxury cars and a firearm, it said.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the large-scale operation was preceded by months of investigation. They involved, among other things, cocaine imports via the port of Antwerp and armed clashes in the drug community. Some protagonists are suspected of planning to use helicopters to transport cocaine to England. What exactly the arrested police officers are accused of was not initially announced.
For years, Belgium has been considered, alongside the Netherlands, one of the most important transshipment points for drugs in Europe. The main reason is imports via the port of Antwerp. Violent clashes in the drug world also occur again and again. At the beginning of last year, an eleven-year-old girl also died.