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🇧🇪 Belgium /Crime & Justice

23-year-old Moroccan man arrested after walking through Brussels station with loaded Kalashnikov

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Police and military detained the man after customs officers found a loaded Kalashnikov in his bag at Brussels-South station.
  • A Brussels investigating judge placed him under investigation for membership in a criminal organization and illegal weapons possession.
  • The suspect will appear before a Brussels council chamber, which will decide whether he remains detained.

A 23-year-old Moroccan man has been detained after customs officers found a loaded Kalashnikov in his bag at Brussels-South station. The weapon lay among baby clothes.

The man had arrived shortly beforehand by train from France. Customs officers became suspicious when they noticed that he appeared nervous and was carrying a heavy bag. A mixed police and military patrol arrested him on Thursday morning.

My client has meanwhile been detained by the investigating judge.

· Benoit LemalThe lawyer confirmed that the investigating judge had ordered the suspect’s detention.

His lawyer, Benoit Lemal, said an investigating judge had since ordered his detention. “I am making no statements about the contents of the case,” Lemal said. He also declined to comment on the route the suspect had taken or why he had traveled to Belgium.

The investigating judge placed the man under investigation for membership in a criminal organization and illegal weapons possession. He is due to appear before the Brussels council chamber on Wednesday, when the court will consider his continued detention.

I am making no statements about the contents of the case.

· Benoit LemalThe lawyer declined to discuss the evidence or circumstances of the case.
About this summary

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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