Eight people ‘linked to Albanian mafia’ arrested over plot to kill Brussels’ chief prosecutor

Suspects linked to drug trafficking underworld found after a four-month-long investigation

Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of a plot to kill Julien Moinil (Belga)

Eight people from the drug trafficking underworld have been arrested in connection with a suspected plot to assassinate chief prosecutor in Brussels, Belgian authorities have said.

The arrests were made on Tuesday following the raid of 18 premises in the nearby city of Leuven, according to the Belgian state prosecutor's department.

The raids took place after a four-month investigation following intelligence about a plot to kill Julien Moinil, who took up the post as the capital’s chief prosecutor in January this year.

A statement from the department said: "In July 2025, the state prosecutor's office was informed by the Brussels police of a plot aiming to kill the Brussels chief prosecutor.

“The main suspects seem to have a criminal record linked to organised drugs trafficking, and may be active within the Albanian criminal mafia.”

Brussels has been plagued by violence linked to drug gangs in recent years, and officials have said more than 100 of Europe's most dangerous criminal networks operate in Belgium.

According to Euronews, 78 shootings had been recorded in 2025 as of the end of October, with at least 20 reported in the summer alone.

In February this year, authorities had to shut several Brussels metro stations as they hunted two suspects following a shooting linked to drug dealers.

Federal Prosecutor Ann Fransen said in a statement seen by Euronews: "This investigation once again demonstrates the absolute necessity of better protecting police officers and magistrates who fight organised crime on a daily basis and who, as a result, become targets of these organisations.”

In a press conference in the summer, Mr Moinil said: “Anyone, every Brussels resident and every citizen, can be hit by a stray bullet.”

Belgium’s port in Antwerp, 35 miles (55 kilometers) to the north, has increasingly been a centre for European imports of cocaine.