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More than 300 arrests in North District over summer

15:15 31/08/2024

Police made 333 arrests in the vicinity of Brussels-North station during July and August, including 159 administrative arrests and 174 judicial arrests for various crimes.

The area has long been cited as a hotspot for crime in the Belgian capital, with people living in the neighbourhood around the railway station citing issues such as open drug use, prostitution, squatting, high numbers of undocumented migrants and people with mental health problems.

A Brussels-North police inspector was stabbed to death in the area in 2022. Police have since increased their presence in the neighbourhood and regularly carry out various operations to reduce the number of criminal acts in the area in order to increase the sense of security of local residents, business owners and users of the neighbourhood.

“After a slight decrease in the number of security operations in the neighbourhood during the 2024 European Football Championship for operational reasons, we have resumed and increased our security operations in the North Quarter,” the Brussels-North police zone said.

“In July and August, police officers made 333 arrests. These arrests were made both by the intervening patrols and assistance services of the zone's commissariat and by the police officers who participated in security operations in the neighbourhood.”

During the same period, police also seized more than four kilos of narcotics, including cannabis and cocaine, and more than 1,000 pills (amphetamines, lyrica, ecstasy, etc).

“In parallel with these security operations, our Transport Security Brigade (BBV) carried out operations more specifically targeting pickpockets present in the neighbourhood and Rue de Brabant,” police said.

“Since the beginning of August, police officers have apprehended 12 people suspected of theft, as well as five people suspected of selling or possessing narcotics.”

Police say they also regularly crack down on businesses and liquor establishments that do not comply with the law and are at the root of certain disturbances.

“This summer, nearly 40 establishments were checked, including in particular the newsagent's shop on Place Liedts where the check led to the seizure of 1,273 litres of nitrous oxide and the newsagent's manager was placed under arrest warrant.”

Written by Helen Lyons