In Berchem, in the province of Antwerp, a house was for the eighth time the target of an attack with explosives. It is a house belonging to a family with alleged drug ties. The door to the house damaged in the previous attack was not yet repaired.
During the night of Monday to Tuesday, a house was targeted by explosives in Berchem, in the province of Antwerp. Around 1:20 a.m., the neighborhood heard a major explosion and the front door of the house was damaged.“A boom, a big big explosion, a blast, not what you get with firecrackers or fireworks, it could only be the explosion of a grenade, it can only be that”says a neighbor.
No one was injured but, according to The last news, everything seems to indicate that it is an attack linked to the drug environment. This is indeed the eighth time that this house has been attacked. The police, however, installed a surveillance camera, but it did not scare the attackers. For the inhabitants of this hitherto quiet street, this is too much. “It’s not nice, it’s not nice, there are a lot of children living around here. There are small children. There’s nothing to do”regrets a resident. “It’s not pleasant. It’s a quiet street. And having this close to home…”said another.
A drug-related family?
The house is owned by the “EH” family. She has been the target of violent drug attacks since 2017. Only the upper floors would still be occupied. The family’s creperie in the nearby Volkststraat was also the target of attacks. “The investigation is ongoing. There have been no arrests yet. The investigating judge is working with the federal police. A neighborhood investigation is underway. Footage from surveillance cameras is being analyzed for clue leading to suspects”says Kristof Aerts, Spokesperson for the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office.
At the same time, a bomb exploded on a gateway to Merksem, still in the province of Antwerp. The police are investigating to find out if the two facts are linked.
Arrests in the past
In early November, two Dutchmen aged 22 and 27 were arrested near Breda in connection with an explosion in the Antwerp district of Wilrijk. The men were in a Dutch-registered car which fled after the explosion, according to CCTV footage. Police placed a camera in front of the house after an explosive device also detonated in the street earlier.
In Antwerp, a drug war has been going on for some time and also involves Dutch nationals. In the town, a grenade and small arms were found in a stopped vehicle with Dutch license plates at the end of October. Two people were arrested. In August, a vehicle with 5 Dutch was also intercepted, they were suspected of preparing an attack against the “EH” family. Some members of this family are prosecuted for drug acts, in particular the sale and links with international drug trafficking.