In a Brussels investigation into the planning of attacks, three people were arrested on Monday evening. Additionally, five others were arrested as part of a similar investigation being led by an investigating judge in Antwerp, and at least two of those are suspected of planning a terrorist attack in Belgium. The judicial authority has confirmed that there are links between the two files, but further investigation is necessary to determine the extent to which the cases are intertwined. The suspects are described as “very young radicalized jihadists”.
Regarding the Brussels investigation, three searches were conducted, and the suspects were detained for questioning. The Antwerp investigation involved five searches in various locations, and once more, five people were arrested for questioning. According to the federal prosecutor’s office, the suspects had not yet determined the target of the attack, but the plans were advanced and concrete.
The arrested individuals will undergo interviews to determine their roles in the network. In Antwerp, it is believed that there were two young executioners, and the other three arrested individuals had been in contact with them. The terrorist threat analysis body, OCAM, has maintained the overall threat level at two.
Denis Ducarme, a federal MP, responded to the arrests and expressed concern regarding the lack of manpower in anti-terrorist units. He urges the Minister of the Interior to take responsibility for the services, which are currently at 60% capacity, to prevent potential problems in the future.
Three people were deprived of their liberty on Monday evening as part of an investigation by a Brussels investigating judge into the planning of attacks. Five other people were also deprived of their liberty in the context of a similar investigation, led by an investigating judge in Antwerp. Among these, at least two are suspected of having prepared to commit a terrorist attack in Belgium. “There are links between the two files, but further investigation will have to reveal the extent to which the two cases were intertwined”, explained the judicial authority. The prosecution confirms to us that it is a question here of “very young radicalized“jihadists.
Regarding the Brussels investigation, three searches were carried out in Zaventem, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and Schaerbeek, and three people were deprived of their freedom to be interviewed. The judge will decide, this Wednesday or in the next few days, whether she issues arrest warrants once morest them or not. These people are suspected of having prepared to carry out a terrorist attack in Belgium. Regarding the Antwerp investigation, five searches were carried out in Merksem, Borgerhout, Deurne, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and Eupen. Five people were deprived of their liberty to be interviewed. Again, the judge will then decide whether to issue arrest warrants once morest them or not.
“They had not yet determined the target of the attack”, indicates the federal prosecutor’s office. Nevertheless, the attack plans in several places were well advanced, “quite concrete”, according to the spokesperson for the federal prosecution.
Interviews of those arrested should further clarify who played what role in the network. In the case of Antwerp, for example, it seems that there were two young executioners, the three other people arrested are people with whom they were in contact.
OCAM, the terrorist threat analysis body, maintained the overall threat level at two.
Federal MP Denis Ducarme reacted: “As recently as March 22, in your newspaper, I denounced the lack of manpower of our anti-terrorist units. They had been working for many weeks on these potential thwarted attacks. We are not done with terrorism, that is obvious. Our law enforcement agencies acted in time. But faced with these new arrests, I want to put the Minister of the Interior on notice. This is not the only worrying file. I want Annelies Verlinden to take responsibility for services that are at 60% capacity. If one day there is a problem, you will not have to come and say that it is the fault of the federal judicial police but the fault of the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice.”
The recent arrests in Brussels and Antwerp serve as a reminder that the threat of terrorism is still very real. The individuals who were apprehended are alleged to have been planning concrete attacks, and further investigation will shed light on the extent of their involvement. The fact that these suspects are described as “very young radicalized jihadists” underscores the importance of preventative measures to combat radicalization, and of properly resourced law enforcement agencies to detect and disrupt terrorist plots. While OCAM has maintained the terrorist threat level at two, these arrests suggest that vigilance remains essential in continued efforts to safeguard once morest the threat of terrorism.
