Latest news Planned attack on public prosecutor in Belgium? Arrests
Belgian police have arrested eight people on suspicion of plotting to attack a leading public prosecutor. They are suspected of being part of organized drug crime, according to the Belgian federal prosecutor's office.
18.11.2025, 16:55
SDA
After questioning, they were to be brought before the investigating judge. In connection with the investigation, the police searched 18 properties in Brussels and Leuven.
Due to the ongoing investigations, it is not yet possible to confirm or refute the plans to attack the public prosecutor. However, federal prosecutor Ann Fransen stated that the investigations showed once again that civil servants need to be better protected when they are fighting organized crime and are targeted as a result.
Judge: Belgium is developing into a "narco-state"
Belgium is an important transshipment point for cocaine shipments to Europe. Many are smuggled through the port of Antwerp. The impact of drug trafficking is also leading to an increase in street crime in Brussels, including shootings linked to the drug scene.
A judge from Antwerp warned at the end of October that the country was developing into a "narco-state" with corruption, violence and an illegal economy. "Widely ramified mafia structures have taken root and have become a parallel power that challenges not only the police but also the judiciary," the judge wrote in an open letter. Organized crime undermines the institutions.
