Two suspects have been arrested in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon as part of the investigation into a home invasion in Ixelles in which one person died, the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed.
Two men of Brazilian origin, suspected of being involved in a fatal burglary that took place in late August in the Brussels municipality of Ixelles, have been arrested in Lisbon. During the home invasion on Rue Gachard near Avenue Louise, a 57-year-old man was shot dead, and a 57-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man were injured.
"As part of the investigation into the events that took place on the morning of Thursday 29 August, we can confirm that two suspects were arrested on 27 September in the Portuguese capital Lisbon," the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office wrote in a statement. "They are two men of Brazilian nationality suspected of having been present at the time of the events."
The office added that a European arrest warrant has been issued for their extradition to Belgium.
Another arrest made
The 22-year-old victim had reportedly arranged to meet one of the men via the popular dating app Grindr. However, once the suspect entered the apartment, it became clear that the young man had been lured into a trap by criminals who find their victims on the app. According to local Portuguese media, the two suspects allegedly also ambushed people in Portugal and the Netherlands via the same dating app to rob or kidnap them.
The day after the fatal burglary, Belgian police arrested one suspect: a 24-year-old man said to have been in contact with the two suspects arrested in Lisbon. He was placed under arrest by the investigating judge and is still in custody.
The judicial investigation, conducted by a Brussels investigating judge in cooperation with the Brussels Federal Judicial Police, is ongoing. The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office has therefore not released any information on the exact events and motives of the perpetrators.
