A 31-year-old man suspected of human trafficking was placed under arrest on Friday, the West Flanders public prosecutor's office said on Sunday. The man was arrested on Wednesday night after stopping his vehicle in Alveringem, next to the French border. His three passengers fled.
According to French police sources, the driver refused to stop at a checkpoint in France and proceeded to drive into Belgium. A jerry can and pumps were found in the vehicle. A search dog was deployed to find the fleeing occupants, but to no avail.
The West Flanders federal judicial police took over the investigation and an examining magistrate decided on Friday to place the suspect under arrest on suspicion of human trafficking. The vehicle has also been seized.
"In this case, the occupants of the vehicle were fleeing from the French police. We are therefore going to liaise with our French colleagues," said Frank Demeester of the West Flanders public prosecutor's office. "Small boats carrying migrants often leave from the French coast. So we want to help ease the pressure on the French coast through our actions and arrests in West Flanders."
