Customs officials found a loaded military-grade weapon on a young man travelling into Brussels from France
A man carrying a loaded Kalashnikov rifle was arrested yesterday morning at Brussels-South station in Brussels. The man was traveling by train to Brussels from France, and the weapon was discovered during a customs check.
The customs officer noticed that the man seemed nervous and that he was carrying a heavy bag. The weapon was found in the bag hidden among baby clothes. The rail police arrested the man, and the case is being investigated by the public prosecutor’s office.
“This shows that the reinforcement of patrols in railway stations with the assistance of our military personnel is necessary and must continue, or even be expanded,” said interior minister Bernard Quintin in response to the incident.
No other details have been released about the man or his motives. While it is unnerving that someone can walk around Brussels-South with a loaded military-grade weapon, police have said that they have no evidence that he meant to use the weapon himself. Such weapons can make their way into Brussels to be sold to criminals, particularly to drug traffickers.