2017: three “sensitive” cases dealt with by Brussels anti-terror police

2017: three “sensitive” cases dealt with by Brussels anti-terror police
Police working on a terrorism case. Credit: Belga

Since January 2017, the Brussels Federal Police have prevented three potential terrorist attacks. The Head of the Brussels Federal Police (“PJF”), Eric Jacobs, disclosed this information in the newspapers La Dernière Heure and La Libre Belgique on Wednesday.

Eric Jacobs explained, “As our enemy no longer takes a specific structured form, it is very difficult to speak of the concept of a foiled attack. I will instead say that since the beginning of 2017, we have had three sensitive cases.” Jacobs also leads the anti-terrorism unit known as DR3.

He adds that a further 1,060 police intelligence reports relating to terrorism have been dealt with by his organisation. He further clarifies, “The number of incidents has reduced. However, we must remain alert, as the current number of radicalised individuals in Belgium has not decreased. The quality of our service has improved even if, now and again, the enemy succeeds in manipulating us, or we cannot entirely verify the intelligence we receive.”

Nearly two years after the Brussels attacks, he asserts, “Last year, 45% of all staff within the PJF remained mobilized (within anti-terrorism, editor’s note). In comparison, the current level of staff mobilization is a little under 30%. There are still some high-risk cases in the Brussels area, but the quantity of these is significantly decreasing. We are starting to get our heads above water.”


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