Several arrests were made in Panama and Belgium as part of an investigation into a suspected criminal network operating in Brussels, according to a statement by the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday.
The arrests were made last year following investigations into security issues in the Peterbos neighbourhood in Anderlecht and shootings in Brussels, which are thought to be related to territorial disputes over the sale and trafficking of drugs.
During the investigation, law enforcement was able to establish a potential link between the alleged criminal group and kidnappings, attempted murders and other acts of violence in Brussels in 2023 and 2024.
A 30-year-old man was identified as the suspected leader of the criminal group operating in Peterbos. He is thought to have run the organisation from prison using a smartphone.
The operation further revealed the alleged leader had associates in Panama. A total of three suspected partners were identified, leading to raids in Panama and the Brussels Capital-Region last year.
Six people were arrested, and four were held in custody. A 35-year-old man was arrested in Panama in December 2025.
The investigations were led and coordinated by examining magistrates in Brussels and the organised crime unit of the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office.
The operation also involved a collaboration with the organised crime unit of the Brussels Federal Judicial Police (PJF), and the police and judicial authorities in Panama.
