On Saturday evening, police received a report about a house burglary at a property in Ruisbroek (Puurs-Sint-Amands - Antwerp Province). After the 2 thieves entered the house, they set off an alarm and fled the scene. The burglars were tracked by a police drone. ‘Our drone team was quickly able to locate the suspects in the local area and follow their flight,’ explained police spokesperson Elke Wauters. The two Albanians had made for the Coolhem forest reserve but got stuck up to their chests in the bog.
‘Eventually, our officers were able to reach them in the swamp. They had sunk into the water up to their chests. Police officers pulled them out of the water. The suspects clung to the bushes and resisted arrest, but eventually our officers got the better of them.’
Found thanks to a drone
‘Our drone provides added value in a situation like this,’ explains Officer Wauters. ‘Thanks to its deployment, we immediately got a wider view of the area. It was dark, but thanks to the thermal camera we got a good picture of where the suspects were.’
The two Albanians, aged 29 and 36, were taken to the police station for questioning. There they were also given dry clothes. The Antwerp public prosecutor's office then decided to have them appear before an examining magistrate, who decided to arrest them both.