Police conducted a series of raids across the Brussels municipality of Forest on Thursday evening in a bid to crack down on drug trafficking and money laundering, RTL Info reports.
Around 30 police officers carried out searches at businesses and addresses across the municipality. At Place Saint-Antoine, police officers searched eight businesses in an attempt to look for signs of money laundering. Police dogs were also used to sniff for illegal drugs, according to the Brussels-Midi police zone.
Federal Minister of the Interior and Security Bernard Quintin (MR) was present at the time of the raids and told RTL Info that they are part of an effort to tackle drug traffickers in the area.
"There is a message that we are sending through these actions; it is a message to the population to say that we are here, but also to the traffickers to say that we are occupying the area, and we are not giving them any space. The street belongs to citizens, and criminals must go to prison," he said.
The raids are not directly linked to the series of deadly shootings in Anderlecht in recent months. Police have yet to officially communicate the results of the raids.
