To solve a murder within the drug scene, several officers from the Brussels South police zone enlisted the help of rival criminals, De Standaard reported on Saturday. The news also appeared in Het Nieuwsblad and Gazet van Antwerpen.
On the night of 4 to 5 July 2020, 23-year-old Soufiane Benali was shot dead at the corner of De Merodestraat and Orbanstraat in the Brussels municipality of Vorst. Given the reputation of the area, police suspected a drug-related vendetta. The investigation was entrusted to the local Brussels South police rather than the federal police, specifically to the Silva brigade known for its exceptional knowledge of the neighbourhood.
Documents from the judicial file obtained by De Standaard indicate that three officers contacted three local youths immediately after the murder. These youths, known as ‘bosses’ of the district, are infamous for armed robberies and drug trafficking. One of them was under electronic surveillance at the time.
In their report, the officers described them as “local informants,” but in reality, the youths were allowed to carry out a manhunt against drug dealers.
The three youths assaulted other youngsters under the watchful eyes of police officers. They were permitted to read smartphones of those they attacked and received information from police files.
Moreover, the electronic surveillance bracelet was temporarily sabotaged to extend their manhunt to Marseille, France.
