Police intercepted a van containing nine stolen bicycles after a high-speed chase that ended in Kraainem late Monday night.
The bikes had been stolen mid-December from a shop in Overijse, according to the Hal-Vilvorde public prosecutor’s office. Two occupants of the van were arrested but later released after questioning.
A resident of Herent noticed a suspicious white van on their street and alerted police, who attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver fled, sparking the pursuit.
During the chase, the van travelled at high speeds, without headlights, and committed multiple traffic offences, said Melanie Geeraerts, spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office. The pursuit ended on the E40 motorway near Kraainem, where the van stopped and three occupants attempted to flee on foot. Two of them were caught by police.
Inside the van, officers found nine high-end bicycles that had been stolen on 17 December during a burglary at AC Bikes in Overijse.
The prosecutor’s office revealed that 25 bicycles were stolen during the break-in, along with two vans taken from Brussels about an hour prior. The vans were later found empty in a parking lot in Herent.
The two suspects, both Moldovan nationals, were questioned by the federal judicial police of Hal-Vilvorde, who are investigating the Overijse burglary. The pair denied involvement in the thefts and were released while the investigation continues.
