Police find fortune of 690,000 euros after traffic stop in Sint-Agatha-Berchem

Police in Sint-Agatha-Berchem confiscated more than 690,000 euros in cash after a routine traffic stop led to the discovery of a hidden compartment in a vehicle. The incident resulted in the arrest of a 44-year-old man and his 45-year-old partner, who are now in pre-trial detention on charges of money laundering and membership in a criminal organization.

The traffic stop occurred on Sunday, June 7, 2026, around 5 p.m. on Gentsesteenweg. Officers from the Brussels West police zone pulled over the driver for making a U-turn without signaling. The man appeared nervous and was already known to the police. During a search of the vehicle, officers found a hidden compartment in the trunk, along with multiple mobile phones. Both the vehicle and the phones were seized, and the man was arrested.

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Both suspects appeared before the investigating judge and were detained on suspicion of money laundering and membership of a criminal organization.

Following the arrest, police conducted a search of the 44-year-old suspect's residence. There, they discovered the substantial sum of cash, exceeding 690,000 euros, along with additional mobile phones. The suspect's partner, a 45-year-old woman, was also arrested as part of the same investigation.

"Both suspects appeared before the investigating judge and were detained on suspicion of money laundering and membership in a criminal organization," a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office stated. "The man was also charged with possessing a vehicle with a hidden compartment."

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The man was also charged with possessing a vehicle with a hidden compartment.