Two men face sentences of 18 months in prison following a series of thefts at Brussels Airport and in the city centre, according to the Halle-Vilvorde prosecutor’s office.
Their first recorded theft was on 18 May at Brussels Airport. The men arrived by train and spent time in the departure lounge before positioning themselves on either side of a female passenger. After one of the men distracted their target by dropping coins, the other swiftly made off with her handbag.
“CCTV footage was analysed and one of the men was quickly recognised by the railway police,” said the prosecutor. Days later, on 26 May, an undercover police patrol in central Brussels spotted the pair. Similar to the first incident, they sat next to a victim at a café, distracted him and stole his backpack. This time however Brussels police intercepted the pair straight away.
The two men were identified and summoned to court but failed to appear on Tuesday. The prosecutor’s office is seeking an 18-month prison sentence for them both. A verdict is expected on 25 June.
