Brussels (Brussels Morning) – National Drugs Commissioner Ine Van Wymersch addresses rising violent drug crime in Brussels. She highlighted arrests and emphasized community-based solutions to prevent further violence and improve neighborhood safety.
In a recent interview, national drugs commissioner Ine Van Wymersch addressed the alarming rise in violent drug-related crime in Brussels. Following the arrest of nineteen criminals linked to shootings, kidnappings, and intimidation in the Peterbos district, she highlighted the ongoing safety concerns.
Why does Van Wymersch emphasize disrupting gang revenue streams?
Van Wymersch emphasized the need to disrupt the gangs’ revenue streams and prevent vulnerable individuals from joining their ranks. She stressed that solving these issues requires more than just police and judicial efforts—it demands improving quality of life, community development, and creating opportunities for a better future to prevent further violence and restore peace in affected neighbourhoods.
“Rolling up this violent drug gang in the Peterbos district in Anderlecht will make a difference for safety in Brussels,” said National Drugs Commissioner Ine Van Wymersch. She was there to explain that nineteen drug criminals had been arrested and were responsible for brutal violence in Brussels: shootings, kidnappings, violence and intimidation. “We must be vigilant against an escalation of violence from other gangs who want to take their place.”
“We must tackle the revenue model of these gangs and ensure that all these people do not end up in the environment. By restoring quality of life and building society”
Ine Wymersch, National Drugs Commissioner said.
Her words were barely cold when a brutal shooting followed in Sint-Gillis, in which two people were killed and three seriously injured. “The public prosecutor’s office is not yet certain whether these are drug-related facts, so I cannot say much yet, but if it is indeed drug violence, my words were unfortunately predictive,” Van Wymersch responded.
How does drug violence differ between Antwerp and Brussels?
When it comes to drug-related incidents, there is a good chance that innocent victims fell on the terrace. There is a clear difference between drug violence in Antwerp and Brussels, according to Van Wymersch. “In Antwerp, the gangs use violence to send each other signals. In Brussels, it is a ruthless, territorial drug war. The incidents here are not just aimed at, for example, the house of a member of a rival gang, as in Antwerp.” According to Van Wymersch, the gangs in Brussels strike more wildly.
“That is because the gangs use what I call ‘disposable forces’. These are young people who give weapons of war into their hands. People with no future who try to make themselves interesting.”
“Police and justice will not solve this alone. We must crack down on the revenue model of these gangs and ensure that all these people do not end up in the environment. By restoring quality of life and building society. Let people live in decent houses, ensure cleanliness in the neighborhoods and, above all, prospects for the future.”
