The Federal Judicial police in Antwerp have arrested eight people as part of an investigation into an Afghan criminal organisation suspected of human trafficking, the Antwerp Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Thursday.
Police conducted raids across the country in Antwerp, Izegem, Jette, Sint-Truiden, and Roeselare with the participation of British and Italian police officers. Another eight arrests have been made abroad in the same case.
The victims were reportedly brought from the Middle East illegally into Belgium through the Balkans and then to the United Kingdom. The gang trafficked individuals using cars, lorries, and boats.
The arrests come as part of a wider crackdown on human trafficking networks originating in Belgium. In December 2024, another three Afghan nationals were convicted in the country for their involvement in a major people-smuggling ring. The suspects were arrested in the UK by the National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police.
The gang was responsible for transporting thousands of people on small boats to the UK. It committed serious sexual offences against male migrant minors, including rapes. Belgian prosecutors revealed that the criminals filmed the assaults to blackmail the victims. Profits from the crimes were funnelled back to Afghanistan or laundered through Belgian businesses. The suspects are awaiting extradition to Belgium.
