A police check in the Agora gallery, close to the Grand Place in Brussels city centre, caught 11 people without residence permits and seized 5,425 illegal products, they announced on Wednesday.
The control operation took place last Thursday, in cooperation with the National Social Security Office, the National Employment Service, the Regional Employment Inspectorate, the Social Security for Self-Employed Entrepreneurs, as well as the Immigration Office and the Finance, Economy and Public Health Ministries.
"A total of nine companies were checked, of which six were found to be in violation. Most offences were related to undeclared workers," the Brussels police said in a press release, adding that the accounts of five enterprises were not in order.
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"A total of 33 people were checked. Eleven of them – nine of which were undeclared workers – are staying in the country without valid residence papers," they added.
The most striking result, however, was the number of products seized by the Public Health Ministry, the police said. "These included electronic cigarettes and refills. In total, as many as 5,425 products were seized."
