A man in his twenties carrying a Kalashnikov-type firearm was arrested at Brussels-Midi station on Thursday morning, according to reports by La Dernière Heure that were confirmed to The Brussels Times.
A joint patrol of police and Defence forces was able to arrest the suspect, the police confirmed to The Brussels Times. A customs officers found the military-grade weapon in a bag during a routine inspection, around 9:30 on Thursday morning.
The deployment of these mixed patrols are part of enhanced security measures in Brussels. Since last week, teams of police and military personnel have been patrolling strategic locations in the capital to increase security and respond quickly to incidents.
"I can confirm that an arrest took place this morning," Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) said in a post on social media. "This demonstrates that the reinforcement of patrols at train stations with the help of our military is necessary and must be continued or even expanded. This is what I am advocating for within the government."
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Customs officials at Brussels-Midi took notice of the man after he behaved suspiciously and appeared to be trying to avoid inspection, Het Laatste Nieuws reports.
He reportedly waited until a large group of passengers from an arriving Eurostar train disembarked to blend into the crowd, but customs officials had already spotted him and took him aside for an inspection.
In his luggage, they discovered a loaded firearm inside a sports bag, hidden under baby and children’s clothing. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, there were 30 rounds in the weapon. The bag drew attention during the inspection because it was unusually heavy.
Customs officers immediately called in police and military personnel present at the station. They took custody of the man and are conducting the investigation.
There is still some uncertainty regarding the exact route the suspect had taken. According to La Dernière Heure, the man initially stated that he came from Lille, but he reportedly arrived at Brussels-Midi on a train from Mons. He may have travelled to Belgium from France beforehand.
The situation at the station has returned to normal, and train service is continuing as usual.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office was unable to comment on the arrest at this time.
What the man's specific plans were is unclear at the moment.
This story is developing.
