The police in Mechelen, Belgium, have arrested two Dutch people in connection with a possible attack in the drug circuit. It concerns suspects aged 19 and 20 who drove around with balaclavas and jerry cans, writes the Belgian broadcaster VRT.
The two were arrested in the night from Thursday to Friday, after their Dutch license plate had attracted the attention of Belgian agents. The two are suspected of being members of a criminal organization and must appear in court next Tuesday.
Police surveillance in and around Mechelen has recently been tightened due to a series of attacks. Earlier this month, a 19-year-old Dutch man was arrested in connection with the filing of an incendiary bomb. An Antwerp drug criminal may have been the target. A car was also recently set on fire in the city.
This week, a 37-year-old Dutchman was also found seriously injured in the Antwerp Kempen near North Brabant. According to the authorities, the man had been kidnapped and tortured, possibly by suspects from the drug circuit. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries, writes the VRT.
The Belgian police have arrested a 23-year-old suspect from Lommel.
Antwerp harbour
Since last summer, Antwerp has been increasingly struggling with drug violence. For example, several shootings took place that according to the authorities are related to drug smuggling through the city’s port.
In Belgium, so-called extractors from the Netherlands were also arrested several times, who were commissioned to remove loads of hard drugs from sea containers.
In January, the Belgian government announced measures against drug crime. For example, Prime Minister De Croo announced that he would tighten up the control of containers and that he wanted to set up a port corps.
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