Approximately 920,000 counterfeit cigarettes were discovered following a vehicle inspection in Anderlecht, according to police in the Brussels-West zone.
The incident happened at around 22:00 on Saturday, 28 March, when officers noticed suspicious behaviour from two men sitting in a parked vehicle with its lights on. The occupants appeared to be handling the central console, prompting police to investigate further.
During the inspection, officers found a large amount of cash both inside the vehicle and on the suspects, raising suspicions of money laundering. Further investigations pointed to a counterfeit cigarette trafficking operation, leading to multiple searches.
These searches uncovered 92 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes, amounting to around 920,000 cigarettes. Police also seized €28,515, £350, several sets of car keys, keyrings, a garage remote control, mobile phones, and passports.
The suspects were questioned and handed over to the Brussels public prosecutor’s office on Monday, 30 March.
