Brussels is becoming the hub of international drug crime

“The latest report of the Brussels Observatory for Prevention and Security for the year 2020 confirms what the N-VA has been denouncing for some time now, namely that Brussels is increasingly becoming a major hub for organised crime,” says Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre.

“Organised criminal gangs have an increasing grip on Brussels streets. No fewer than 9,178 registered offences are related to drug possession and trafficking. That is an increase of almost 10% since 2019 and as much as 30% over five years. Drug trafficking figures in Brussels are twice as high as in the rest of the country. The figures for money laundering (+ 55%) and sexual exploitation (+ 27%) are also worrying,” Mathias Vanden Borre says.

Six shootings

“Gangs have an extremely negative impact on the liveability and safety of the neighbourhoods where they operate. Six out of ten Brussels residents consider this a major problem. For example, there were no fewer than six shootings in Molenbeek last autumn. The Sky ECC operation also demonstrated the widespread problem, with numerous arrests and the discovery of drug labs.”

More chaos and violence

“To those who advocate the legalisation and decriminalisation of drugs, I have a clear message: you are definitely giving up on our youth and our streets. Years of half-hearted policies have derailed the situation into what it is today. Going further down this road only means more chaos and violence,” Mathias Vanden Borre concludes.