Brussels ramps up crackdown on Anderlecht drug gangs with new police powers

On Thursday, the Brussels prosecutor's office announced a series of police actions to tackle drug gang activities in the Anderlecht district. These measures include document checks, personal searches, a prohibition on entry for non-residents, and property confiscation.

The prosecutor's office outlined that local police forces have been endowed with expanded powers to bolster the fight against the burgeoning drug trade. These enhanced authorities are particularly directed at the Anderlecht district in the capital's west, focusing on the Peterbos quarter.

With these new powers, police will amplify patrol activities in the district, appearing at various intervals day and night. Officers are now permitted to stop and search passers-by and conduct personal searches. Non-residents will face a temporary entry ban, set until 16 May, subject to a possible two-month extension. Additionally, officers will perform random road checks and seize objects deemed dangerous or likely to be used for drug consumption.

A ban on public alcohol consumption has also been introduced across the Anderlecht district. Furthermore, police are collaborating with the immigration department. Should it be found that detained drug offenders are illegally in the country, they will be placed in closed centres and subsequently expelled from Belgium.

Last Thursday, the southern Brussels police department expressed its objective to diminish crime in the district and enhance the living standards for its residents through a potent and conspicuous police presence.

Particularly in the Peterbos quarter of the Anderlecht district, which houses around 4,000 inhabitants, she grabbed media attention in 2021. At that time, the area witnessed approximately 100 police interventions, mostly for drug-related crimes.

The situation temporarily stabilized, only to deteriorate by the summer of 2023 when the district again emerged as a hub for drug gangs, predominantly dealing in cocaine and marijuana.

The Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws noted that some members of the Brussels gang had links to criminal networks in Marseille, southern France. Remarkably, even children as young as ten participated in the gang's operations. Despite the gang leader's incarceration, he reportedly continues to orchestrate the group's actions from prison.

The city and district authorities have resolved to reassess the imposed restrictions after two months and extend them if necessary.