The Brussels North police zone’s ‘Brigade de Sécurisation du Transport’ (BST – Transport Safety Brigade) caught 33 thieves red-handed in June, the zone announced on Tuesday.
Between January and May, 115 individuals had been arrested by the Brussels North BST.
The arrests were carried out by the BST’s Prevention Observation beWaking Action (POWA) team, which uses methods combining observation and action against flagrant offenders, the police zone explained.
In one such operation, the BST arrested three individuals on 3 June on Rue de Brabant in Schaerbeek. “While the police were on patrol, their attention was drawn to three individuals behaving suspiciously,” the zone reported. “They decided to follow them.”
“They were walking through the clearance sale where they spotted a lady with an open handbag. One of them diverted the victim’s attention while one of his accomplices stole her wallet. The three suspects tried to leave the scene quickly. The police then proceeded to arrest them.”
The three suspects were released after a hearing.
The investigation is continuing.
