This incident shows how powerful organized crime is in Belgium!
Justice Minister Vincent van Quickenborne and his family were taken to an undisclosed location by police on Wednesday – for the second time in a few months. According to the “Standard”, the drug mafia wants to kill the liberal. His house in Kortrijk is guarded by the police.
Justice Minister Van Quickenborne is seen as a tough fighter against organized crime. In March 2021, he ordered a huge crackdown on the drug mafia after Belgian and Dutch investigators were able to crack the “Sky Global” crypto cell phones popular with criminals. His police officers searched 200 locations, secured 17 tons of cocaine, around one million euros in cash and arrested 48 people – including members of the “Hells Angels” but also corrupt colleagues from their own ranks. Since then, the mafia has been plotting revenge.
As recently as September, three Dutchmen tried to kidnap the Minister of Justice, his wife and children from their home. But when they saw a police patrol in front of his house, they fled. Investigators found Kalashnikovs, firearms, gas bottles and a child seat in an abandoned car. With the help of the number plate, the police arrested the three men from the drug milieu.
In the summer of 2021, the reporter Peter de Vries was shot dead in the Netherlands because he was the confidante of a key witness in the trial against the Moroccan mafia
Prosecutor Frédéric Van Leeuw then spoke of “narco-terrorism”. The aim of the drug mafia is intimidation. “What the criminals do shows that they consider themselves untouchable.” Vincent van Quickborne himself assumed that the threat to him and his family would get worse.
The drug mafia also has great power in the Netherlands. In July 2021, criminals executed star reporter Peter de Vries († 64) in the center of Amsterdam. De Vries was a key witness in the murder trial of Ridouan Taghi, head of the Moroccan drug mafia. The perpetrators are said to be henchmen of Taghi. You are currently being processed.
The trial against the mafia boss and sixteen other suspects is still ongoing. The key witness’ lawyer was shot dead in September 2019.