Gun violence in Brussels has escalated significantly – especially recently with seven shootings happening in just two weeks in Anderlecht. Experts are warning that the city is caught in a vicious cycle of crime and readily available firearms.
Weapons that once were the reserve of a few high-level criminals are now widespread, especially prevalent among younger, more impulsive offenders who are quick to resort to violence. According to Nils Duquet, Director of the Flemish Institute of Peace, the situation has deteriorated rapidly over the last decade.
“Ten years ago, access to firearms was much more restricted. Today, even young criminals can get their hands on weapons, and they shoot far more often than seasoned criminals. That, in turn, makes other criminals feel insecure, leading them to arm themselves as well. The more shootings occur, the higher the demand for weapons, and the easier it becomes to acquire them. It’s a vicious cycle that has been worsening for years.”
Multiple marketplaces
Situated at the heart of Europe and home to a major port in Antwerp, Belgium has long been a hub for arms trafficking. The legacy of past wars, particularly in the territories of former Yugoslavia, has played a major role in flooding the European black market with weapons.
Today, authorities have no clue how many illegal guns are in the streets of the capital of Europe. “The wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s left a large number of weapons in civilian hands. Over the last 15 years, we’ve seen these weapons turn up in cities with high criminal activity, like Brussels and Marseille,” explains Duquet.
“The trafficking routes from the Balkans to Brussels remain active, and in the past decade, the process of acquiring a gun has become much easier.” Previously, purchasing a firearm required deep criminal connections, with buyers often waiting weeks for delivery. Today, the black market has shifted online.
“Now, we see weapons being advertised on Snapchat and Telegram, making it easier for criminals to get in touch with sellers even if they don’t know each other,” Nils Duquet warns.
Weapons and guns seized by Brussels' police. Credit: Belga
Added to this, new sources have emerged. Many weapons on the streets today come from converted firearms – starting as blank-firing guns from Turkey, or deactivated firearms from Slovakia, which can be easily reactivated.
There’s also a growing concern over 3D-printed weapons. “Five years ago, we hadn’t seen any 3D-printed firearms in Belgium. Now, they are appearing. It’s not widespread yet, but it could be soon. You don’t need criminal connections anymore—just a blueprint and a 3D printer,” Duquet says.
Tools of the trade
Brussels’ highly competitive drug market only fuels gun violence as rival groups frequently engage in retaliatory shootings, a pattern experts such as Duquet refer to as “near-repeat shooting.”
“When one shooting happens, it often triggers a chain reaction. It’s no surprise that we’ve seen multiple shootings in a row in Brussels recently. Some are directly connected, but not always – some are simply copycat crimes where criminals want to build their reputation.”
Young people are particularly at risk. Criminal organisations exploit vulnerable individuals, including undocumented migrants, to carry out violent acts. Tuncay Kenctemur, a former criminal who served 15 years in prison for violent offenses (criminal association, possession of war weapons, armed robbery, carjacking, home jacking), has seen this trend firsthand.
“Young criminals today are different from my time. Back then, there was a hierarchy. Today, they have everything to prove so when someone tells them to go shoot someone, they don’t think twice.”
Kenctemur, who is currently writing a book about his life and experiences, served as a paratrooper commando in the Turkish army at the Syrian border in 1998 and underwent intensive training with weapons of war, including Kalashnikov rifles.
“It’s a sacred weapon in the criminal world – durable, easy to use, and it never ages,” he says. Back in 2001, he recalls, a Kalashnikov cost between €3,000 and €3,500 – a price that pales in comparison to the profits of drug trafficking. “For a drug dealer in Brussels, that’s less than a day’s earnings,” notes Duquet.
However buying an illegal firearm is not as easy as some might think, even today. “Dealers don’t just sell to anyone. They check who you are and ask about the purpose of the weapon. If someone without criminal connections tried to buy a Kalashnikov, they wouldn’t succeed. The people selling these weapons aren’t stupid—it’s not as easy as buying drugs,” he explains.
Police near the Clemenceau metro station during 'Pause 1070' a solidarity neighborhood meeting in Anderlecht, Brussels, on Thursday 27 February 2025, after the recent shootings in their neighborhood. Credit: Belga
A gloomy Marseille
Experts fear that Brussels may be heading in the same direction as Marseille, the French city plagued by extreme drug-related gun violence.
“In the drug world, there is no mercy. People are aggressive and want to control all the territory for themselves,” explains Kenctemur.
“Marseille is a few years ahead of us, but if we don’t act now, Brussels could end up the same way,” warns Duquet. He stresses the need for two major policy changes: preventing gang recruitment among vulnerable youth and increasing efforts to track firearms trafficking networks.
“For years, tackling gun trafficking has not been a political priority. That started to change after the shooting in Brussels in October 2023 that killed two Swedish people but we’re still not doing enough. We need more investigations into how these weapons are reaching Brussels and which networks are supplying them,” he insists.
While law enforcement is bracing for potential future weapons influxes from the war in Ukraine in the next few years, the current crisis is already alarming. The challenge is no longer just about seizing illegal weapons—it’s about breaking the cycle before Brussels spirals further into violence.
