One of Belgium and Europe's most wanted criminals, a 25-year-old man from Brussels, has been arrested outside the capital. He fled from police twice but has now again been caught.
The Federal Police confirmed that a 'Most Wanted' fugitive named Mohamed-Amine Dardour was arrested on Saturday 3 August. The 25-year-old man was reportedly found in a vehicle by officers of the Bodukap Police Zone (in Sint-Kathelijne-Waver). He was arrested in cooperation with Zenne Valley Police Zone (Halle, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw en Beersel).
"At the time of arrest was under the influence of narcotics and was using a fake ID," the Federal Police noted in a statement. "The man was considered dangerous."
Dardour had reported himself to the police in July 2020 (at the age of 19) alongside a man named Youssef Jeddi for their involvement in a fatal shooting in Forest a week earlier. The incident resulted in a young man being killed with a machine pistol and two others being wounded.
The two were put under suspicion and referred to the assize court for murder and attempted murder in 2022. They are due to appear before the court this autumn on these charges.
However, before the case could come to trial, Dardour cut his ankle bracelet and fled, along with Jeddi. In March 2024, a year and a half after their disappearance, they were arrested by Spanish police in Malaga after an intensive investigation by the FAST (Fugitive Active Search Team) of the Federal Police and the Federal Judicial Police of Brussels, in collaboration with officers in Spain.
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Jeddi was handed over to Belgium, but Dardour managed to flee again on 17 June, when he was last seen. "He was subsequently placed on both Belgium's and Europe's Most Wanted sites." On Saturday, however, he was arrested again, bringing an end to his time on the run.
"Due to new facts of which he was suspected, the public prosecutor of Antwerp decided to start a new investigation," the Federal Police wrote. He has since been brought before the examining magistrate in Mechelen, and after questioning, the investigating judge decided to place him under arrest for possession of prohibited weapons and ammunition.
