The Brussels prosector’s office reports that an arrest has been made in the investigation into a contract killing in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht. The man arrested is suspected of having ordered the murder that took place on the Wayerstraat in the centre of Anderlecht in September 2023. The victim’s vehicle was forced to stop before it came under fire from automatic weapons. Detectives believe that the person killed was a victim of mistaken identity.
On the night of 13 September 2023, a white Peugeot car blocked the path of a Volkswagen Golf on the Wayerstraat, the main shopping street in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht. Before the driver of the Golf could react, he came under fire from several automatic weapons. He sustained several bullet wounds and died.
The gunmen fled the scene. Their car was found burned out a couple of kilometres away in the Zaadstraat in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek. Around 6 months later a first suspect was apprehended. A further six arrests followed in early October last year. At the end of March an 8th suspect was arrested. 2 weeks ago the man suspected of having ordered the contract killing was arrested.
In a statement the Brussels prosecutor’s office spokesman Martin François said "We can confirm that the person concerned has been arrested on suspicion of murder, the person that ordered the killing. He was arrested on 20 May. The man denies any involvement. Chambers still has to confirm his arrest”.
Orders for murder given from prison
The suspect is no stranger to police and prosecutors. He is currently serving an 8-year prison sentence after having been convicted as the leader of a drugs gang that operated out of the Peterbos social housing estate in Anderlecht.
The suspect allegedly ordered the murder while he was already in prison. The intention was to “liquidate” a rival drug lord. However, the contract killers are believed to have murdered the wrong man.