Belgian fugitive Hachem Raïan, convicted over a shooting in Forest and listed among Belgium’s and the EU’s Most Wanted since May 2026, has been captured in Tourcoing, France.
Raïan was arrested on Tuesday at about 8:00 p.m, federal police said on Wednesday.
His arrest followed an international investigation led for several months by the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Several countries actively contributed to the operation, in which significant operational resources and a considerable number of working hours were invested, according to the police.
Raïan has received several convictions linked to shootings in Brussels. In late January, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in a March 2024 Kalashnikov shooting at Saint-Antoine Square in Forest.
During that attack, several bullets struck the fronts of homes overlooking the square. Three people were injured, one of them critically.
Raïan is a Belgian national. His arrest shows that tackling the serious violence affecting several neighbourhoods in Brussels remains a priority for the police and the justice system, the federal police said.
