Brussels North police have made over 700 arrests over the past two months, as part of a series of co-ordinated actions in the Northern District focusing on drug dealing, pickpocketing and illegal behaviour by business owners.

Th Brussels North Police Zone, which consists of Schaerbeek, Evere and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, carries out regular operations in the city’s Northern District to “reduce the number of criminal acts in the area and improve the feeling of safety of local residents and users.”

The area around Brussels North railway station has been known as an extremely difficult neighbourhood for several years, and tensions came to a head in late 2022 after a police officer was stabbed to death. Since then, police have increased their presence in the area and regularly conduct operations to reduce criminal activity.

Between 15 August and 15 October, those operations resulted in 408 arrests. Among them were 195 administrative arrests and 213 judicial arrests for various offences.

Police also seized more than 3kg of narcotics including cannabis and cocaine, and more than 520 pills, among them amphetamines, Lyrica and ecstasy. 23 suspects of theft and handling stolen goods were caught during targeted actions against pickpockets on public transport and in the Brabant quarter, in addition to 16 suspects of possession of narcotics.

Impact on local situation

In their action plan, police are focusing on law-breaking establishments that are at the root of disturbances. 15 commercial establishments were checked in the past two months and six were administratively closed on 15 October, for various violations of the law.

At the end of August, a newsagent on Place Liedts was closed after 1,273 litres of nitrous oxide were seized and the operator was arrested. “This seems to have a real impact on the situation in the neighbourhood,” the police said. “There are fewer users on the streets and the ground is less littered with nitrous oxide bottles.”