Brussels adds police after shootings linked to drug gangs

Belgian authorities said they would deploy 40 more police officers in Brussels after recent shooting incidents that they linked to drug trafficking gangs.

Authorities for the city announced the move on Wednesday after an emergency meeting of local and national officials. They said police resources would be shifted to the most affected neighbourhoods and mobile cameras would be deployed to help forces track perpetrators.

Authorities said the recent incidents included assailants firing automatic weapons, several people being wounded and a police station being targeted.

Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin said online that the country was facing “a national emergency” and that fighting organised crime had to be a priority for all levels of government.

Belgium is a major gateway for drugs smuggled into Europe, with the port of Antwerp described as a key entry point for criminal gangs. Armed violence linked to turf wars between rival drug gangs has increased in recent years.