Belgian authorities on Tuesday detained eight people over a suspected drugs-linked plot to kill Brussels’ chief prosecutor, Julien Moinil. The arrests followed 18 morning raids mainly in Brussels and in Leuven, part of a months-long investigation by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office.
The main suspects appear to have criminal records related to organised drug trafficking. They are believed to be active within the Albanian criminal underworld.
The suspects were questioned before appearing in front of a judge.
Authorities launched the probe in July after being made aware of a plot to murder 39-year-old Moinil. He had already been receiving police protection due to threats from drug traffickers.
Federal Prosecutor Ann Fransen said:
This investigation demonstrates once again the absolute necessity of better protecting police officers and magistrates who fight organised crime on a daily basis.
Belgium has increasingly become a critical—yet vulnerable—gateway for organized crime entering Europe. Its ports and transport hubs serve as major hubs for criminal gangs and large-scale narcotics smuggling, creating security gaps that terrorists could exploit.
Brussels has also recently seen an increase in gang-related gun crime, a phenomenon which has also affected the port city of Antwerp. That city has also faced recent terror threats: in October, Belgian police arrested three young adults on suspicion of planning a jihadist-inspired terrorist attack, targeting top political figures including Mayor Els van Doesburg, Prime Minister Bart De Wever and, reportedly, the Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders. Federal Prosecutor Fransen said the suspects were detained as part of an investigation into “attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group.”
Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, called the news “deeply shocking,” adding:
It reminds us that the terrorist threat remains real and that we must remain vigilant.
