Six Pakistani origin British Nationals arrested in Belgium on terrorism suspicion
Shares
BRUSSELS: Belgian police have arrested six Pakistani born British men driving three UK ambulances not far from Brussels, as the Belgian capital was on lockdown, with security agencies fearing a “serious and imminent” threat of a terrorist attack. The medical vehicles, with British license plates, were spotted on Saturday at a service station in Bierges, along the E411 highway, 30 minutes southeast of Brussels. Law enforcement officers arrived on the scene quickly at around 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT), supported by six armored trucks. A witness spoke to RTL Belgium, saying: “There were a number of police vehicles and the police officers had their weapons drawn.” Six British nationals of Pakistani origin were arrested at the scene and were taken for questioning and had their fingerprints taken. No weapons were found, but police said they came across“clothes, food and money.” Belgian police said that the six British nationals were arrested near an Esso gas station, which was regularly frequented by Salah Abdeslam. A manhunt is under way to try and capture the 26-year-old who is wanted in connection with the November 13 Paris terrorist attacks. However subsequently the arrested were released after taking their finger prints by Police. The arrests by Belgian police came as the capital Brussels was in a state of lockdown on Saturday after the security agencies said city faced a “serious and imminent” threat of a terrorist attack. The government issued an official warning to the public to avoid crowded areas.
