Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police’s City Team seized goods and cash worth more than €420,000 over the past 12 months during inspections in central Brussels.
The police announced the figures on Monday as it presented the annual results of the unit, which operates in the city centre.
Comprising the equivalent of three full-time staff, the City Team mainly inspects hospitality venues and businesses such as e-cigarette and CBD shops, sex shops, nail salons and souvenir stores.
Its work focuses on tackling public nuisance, undeclared labour, human trafficking and the sale of illicit, counterfeit or harmful products.
Over the past year, the team drew up 549 reports for offences under the Criminal Code and the general police regulations, and 216 for traffic offences.
Around 40 businesses were subject to judicial and/or administrative closure, while dozens of people were arrested.
The seizures included 6,000 electronic cigarettes, nearly 19,000 medicines, 366 packets of cigarettes, 67 kilos of shisha, 53 nitrous oxide canisters, 353 counterfeit items, 47 prohibited weapons, 1,500 fireworks and 8,387 units of poppers.
Police estimated the market value of the seized goods at €385,000, excluding the prohibited weapons and counterfeit items.
A further €37,000 in cash was also seized during the operations, taking the total to more than €420,000.
The City Team carries out inspections either on its own or together with several partners, including the Office of the Labour Auditor, the federal public services for employment and public health, and the National Employment Office.
