Two men suspected of killing a 56-year-old man in Zeebrugge (Bruges – West Flanders) were arrested in Poland at around 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the West Flemish public prosecutor's office. The suspects are Russian nationals, born in 1980 and 1992. Polish police intercepted them on a motorway in Poland.
The Russians are suspected of killing a 56-year-old after an altercation at a night shop in Zeebrugge on Friday. The suspects are two Russian lorry drivers, aged 33 and 45. They were detained on the A2 motorway in Skierniewice, 80km outside the Polish capital Warsaw.
According to local police the two men were travelling in a car and were detained following a police chase that ended at a police road block.
On Tuesday evening, Polish police in the town of Łódź received information about the suspects' possible route. This information was provided by a police liaison officer working with Europol.
A police patrol from Zgierz, a municipality near Łódź, suddenly spotted the vehicle. ‘The car was travelling at high speed in the direction of Warsaw. The officers monitored the vehicle from a safe distance, while maintaining constant contact with Łódź police to report the car's location.
At approximately 9:15 p.m., it was decided to set up a roadblock near the A2 motorway exit at Skierniewce. No one was injured during the arrests.
The Russians are reportedly EU residents working for an EU company, possibly based in Poland or Lithuania.
‘Since Belgian police issued a wanted notice on Sunday, more than 100 tips have been received by the police,’ writes Griet De Prest of the West Flemish public prosecutor's office. ‘The tips contained valuable information. Combined with data shared internationally between police services, this ultimately led to the identification and location of the suspects.’
‘Under the direction of the investigating magistrate in Bruges, West Flemish federal judicial police have been working continuously on the case for the past four days, deploying all necessary personnel and resources to track down the suspects internationally,’ the press release from the prosecutor’s office continues.
‘These efforts have now borne fruit. The arrest of the two suspects is the result of particularly intensive and efficient cooperation between Europol and several European police forces. Without this cooperation, a swift arrest would not have been possible.’
The victim's family has been informed of the arrests. The investigating magistrate in Bruges has initiated proceedings to have the suspects surrendered to Belgium.
Exact cause of altercation unclear
Last Friday, around 10 p.m., Bruges local police received a report of an incident in Mercatorstraat in Zeebrugge. A 56-year-old man had been beaten and kicked by two other men. A witness attempted to resuscitate him, and the emergency services were also quickly on the scene. However, the victim could not be saved.
According to several witnesses, there had been an argument in a night shop beforehand. Shortly afterwards, the suspects allegedly attacked the victim out on the street. The exact cause of the dispute is unclear. After the incident, both suspects fled the scene.