Drug gangs behind rise in shootings in EU capital Brussels, officials say

Reuters

Published Apr 05, 2024 13:45

By Nette Noestlinger

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - More than 100 of Europe's most dangerous criminal networks operate in Belgium, a centre for international drug trafficking as well as being the heart of EU politics, officials said on Friday, as street shooting rise in the capital.

Belgian Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt said drug gangs were behind this year's rise in street shootings in Brussels, with six recorded in March alone. Gangs from the French coastal town of Marseille were seeking to fill a vacuum left in Brussels after arrests of Albanian mafia members, he said.

About 30 people were arrested in a large-scale operation by the country's federal police in February 2022, Belgian media reported.

With a major port in Antwerp, Belgium is an important drugs hub.

Local media have reported shootings in recent months that have injured passers-by in shopping and residential districts of Brussels that were not previously not associated with such crime.

The federal police declined to comment on street shooting statistics.