The Federal Judicial Police of Limburg announced on Friday the results of a recent investigation into a suspected arms trafficking network.
Raids conducted last Friday resulted in the seizure of 65 firearms, €25,000 in cash, and clephedrone, a drug which had not been previously detected in Limburg.
The seized drugs weighed 450 kilograms with a street value estimated at €4.5 million. Among the confiscated firearms were 50 Glock pistols, four Kalashnikovs, 13 handguns, four rifles, and four war weapon magazines.
11 suspects were arrested, and seven have been incarcerated. The investigation has international implications, as the two arms suppliers were Austrian. Two Polish nationals were found at a drug lab in Beverlo, which was located in a residential area, posing a risk of explosion.
"Organised crime is more significant than previously thought. If trends continue, we are heading towards a record number of drug labs, necessitating more financial and human resources," said the Director of Limburg's Federal Judicial Police, Sophie Lever, and Public Prosecutor, Frank Bleyen.
They also highlighted the young ages of the suspects (20 to 21 years old), who are from former mining communities.
On 9 May, around 20 raids took place in Heusden-Zolder, Beverlo, and Genk. The criminal network primarily comprises young men of Turkish origin, believed to be active in international arms trafficking.
