Individuals arrested earlier this week as part of a terror investigation reportedly were planning on assassinating the Mayor of Antwerp Bart De Wever and police officers.
Eight people were arrested on Monday night in Brussels, Antwerp and Eupen as part of an anti-terrorist operation, seven of whom must remain in detention. At the time, it was said the detainees "seemed determined to carry out a terrorist attack."
It has now been confirmed by the Federal Public Prosecutor's office that the group were radicalised youths who had plans to kill De Wever, who is also the leader of the Flemish separatist, rightwing N-VA party.
"De Wever's name did indeed come up in the Antwerp investigation," Eric Van der Sypt, the office's spokesperson told Gazet Van Antwerpen. "But it is not the case that a day and an hour had already been set for the attack to take place, the plans weren't that concrete yet."
This was also confirmed by Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne on Radio 1, who explained that, while the plans were not concrete, the country's services "took no chances and intervened disruptively as soon as there was any talk of violence." He added that at least the four main suspects were on the OCAD list of terror suspects in Belgium.
On Friday, the Federal Council of Ministers is set to approve a draft law by Van Quickenborne to improve the flow of information on people on that list, which will allow data to be shared with medical personnel, while everyone on the list will also be screened at least twice a year.
Radicalised at rapid pace
As was previously confirmed, some of the individuals who were arrested were known to the police for being Islamic extremists who had been "radicalised at a rapid pace."
It has been reported that the headscarf ban in Antwerp, which states that staff in public functions and at counters of, for example, city halls, are not allowed to wear visible religious signs, would have been one of the motives.
Two separate groups have been distinguished. On the one hand, an Antwerp branch around a 20-year-old person from Merksem, who came on the detectives' radar for possible terrorist activities and another group around a 19-year-old Brussels. These two groups reportedly sought contact with each other.
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The group in Brussels was then linked to a 19-year-old from Eupen, who had already been arrested two years ago for plotting an attack on a police station. When the suspects were looking for weapons to carry out their plans, the Federal Prosecutor's office decided to intervene, as it argued the plans had become "concrete" and "advanced."
During Monday's raids, police found a demilitarised weapon, the barrel of which had been disabled, and two so-called BB guns — pistols that fire small plastic bullets — but the group was diligently searching for more powerful firearms.
On Monday, the seven people still in detention will appear before the pre-trial chamber.
