2023-08-06 16:12:00
Drug trafficking and the nuisances linked to this crime are of concern, more than ever, to the police, judicial and political authorities of the country. In the Brussels West police zone (Molenbeek, Ganshoren, Jette, Koekelberg, Berchem-Ste-Agathe), a new working method to fight against drugs was initiated at the start of the year.
According to the first six-monthly report communicated by the police zone, the work in the field is bearing fruit: 180 judicial arrests, 43 of which were subsequently the subject of an arrest warrant; 62 kilos of cannabis (nearly 9 euros per gram on resale, according to the police), 5.5 kilos of cocaine (40 to 50 euros per gram), nearly 10 kilos of heroin (15 to 20 euros per gram) and 482 ecstasy pills (5 euros per pill). Just over 225,000 euros in cash were also seized.
”We work proactively to fight this form of crime, it is impossible to intervene reactively in the fight against narcotics. We have developed a working method and we are satisfied with these initial results”, explains Commissioner Ganseman, from the Brussels-West police zone.
Critical areas
What is the method in question? “Our police officers are active in areas and neighborhoods known for the sale and consumption of drugs, such as the Ribaucourt and Léopold II district”, specifies the police officer.
The area around the Ribaucourt metro station is indeed notoriously renowned as a high place for transactions, but also and above all for drug consumption. At the end of 2022, the STIB mentioned an increase of almost 70% in drug reports between 2021 and 2022 on the public transport network. Ribaucourt is one of the most sadly known resorts in this area. In June, residents also called on the municipal authorities to denounce a growing number of syringes abandoned in the street, used and then abandoned by crack users in the neighborhood.
“Our police are active in and around public transport stations, which are often transit points for street dealers who easily meet their customers there, confirms commissioner Ganseman. But we also rely heavily on judicial investigations which, thanks to specific methods, bring to light more significant trafficking. For example, when a source tells us about a suspicious vehicle or location, observations are made to identify criminal activity. For this, the Brussels public prosecutor’s office is an important partner.”
Significant financial cost for municipalities
For Commissioner Ganseman, collaborations between the different police zones, but also with the federal police and the prosecution, make it possible to fight more effectively against drug trafficking. “Whether it’s the street deal or the big drug trade, everything is linked, and we try to act on all the links in the chain”, assures the policeman.
And to add: “Everyone is working at their level to fight against this phenomenon. We are all aware that as long as there is a lot of money to be made in narcotics, it will be difficult to eradicate the problem. This is why it is important to collaborate. It’s the only way to get results on the pitch”.
The mayor of Molenbeek, Catherine Moureaux (PS), specifies that if the work is indeed bearing fruit, it has a significant cost at the local level. “Yes, the new working method set up in Molenbeek is working well. However, it is at the cost of superhuman financial efforts for our municipalities. We feel quite alone: we have still not received help from Minister Verlinden and even her promise to maintain the police staff of the federal canal plan has not been kept to this day”, deplores the socialist mayor.
Lonely, it is also the report of the mayor of Mons, Nicolas Martin (PS) who explained, to La Libre, not to understand “the passivity of the federal authorities”, pointing, too, the Minister of the Interior whom he feels little involved in the fight against drug traffickers.
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