Two suspects arrested last week in the investigation into the seizure of a Kalashnikov at Brussels-South Railway Station appeared in court on Wednesday.
The hearing began at 10.15 a.m. in the French-speaking Brussels Pre-trial Chamber, and the suspects' lawyers left the courtroom a few minutes later.
The first suspect, aged 23, did not oppose the continuation of his pre-trial detention. According to his lawyer, Benoît Lemal, no alternative was proposed because the man has been staying illegally in Belgium.
Speaking after the closed-door hearing, Mr Lemal described his client as the “courier” in the case. He said the suspect had arrived at Brussels-South shortly after 9 a.m. on a train from Mons and had not intended using the Kalashnikov found by police in his sports bag.
The lawyer said he hoped the investigation would quickly identify the weapon’s intended final recipient.
The suspect said he had found the gun in France while helping with a house move. He said he had been told the weapon, which was already in the bag, would “sell easily in Brussels."
The second suspect, aged 24, asked on Wednesday to be released under electronic monitoring, with certain restrictions, his lawyer Mustapha El Hajjami said.
Mr El Hajjami added that he took over the case on Friday, shortly after his client’s arrest.
The 24-year-old was arrested on Thursday at about 11.30 p.m. on Boulevard Industriel in Anderlecht while travelling by car.
