800 police officers involved in major operation in Peterbos district

About 800 police officers participated in an operation against drug trafficking in the Peterbos neighbourhood in Anderlecht on Thursday, resulting in several arrests.

The operation was led by the Brussels public prosecutor's office, Bruzz reports, using federal police, federal judicial police and local police. Several magistrates were both on site and at the command post.

Anderlecht mayor Fabrice Cumps described the operation as a "major control operation across the entire site" that is part of "the fight against drug trafficking".

The operation lasted several hours and people coming and going from the area were stopped for identity checks.

“They checked people's identity cards and checked with the computer service to see if they were fake or if the person had a criminal record,” one long-time resident told Bruzz.

“That's good, they should do this every time, because dealers sell drugs here, people get killed, there are weapons. This action can protect elderly people like me and other residents.

"Peterbos used to be a good neighbourhood, but a lot has changed. Now the neighbourhood is mainly associated with drug scandals and dealers. It used to be the best neighbourhood in Brussels and now it's the worst."

Peterbos is indeed one of the 17 crime hotspots in Brussels identified by authorities as a priority in the fight against drug crime.

In December 2022, 30 people were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 225 days to eight years for drug trafficking in the neighbourhood. Despite these convictions, criminal activities continued and another 19 arrests were made in June 2024 as part of a new drug investigation.