TIG Post

Tag: Belgian

  • Complicit Ghana Airport operatives cocaine bust incident will not go unnoticed – Ablakwa to gov’t

    Complicit Ghana Airport operatives cocaine bust incident will not go unnoticed – Ablakwa to gov’t

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in Parliament has issued a stern warning, expressing their vigilant observation of the government’s response to the recent cocaine seizure by Belgian authorities.

    The controversy ignited when Madam Proeger Delgey Bianca allegedly bypassed security measures at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) with the aid of complicit airport personnel, leading to an international embarrassment for Ghana.

    An intercepted Convening Order dated April 8, 2024, reveals the establishment of an investigative panel tasked with reporting their findings by May 3, 2024.

    However, the NDC Caucus has raised doubts about the impartiality of the probe, citing concerns over the panel’s composition and its ties to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    The NDC, echoing sentiments from Ghana’s international partners, has demanded an independent investigation, expressing skepticism towards an internal inquiry conducted by the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).

    Their concerns are exacerbated by the involvement of politically exposed individuals within the NPP, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.

    Government communication regarding the cocaine scandal has come under fire, with critics labeling it as a “disaster.”

    Were it not for a report by the Herald newspaper, the government might have remained silent on the matter.

    The NDC highlights a lack of updates to the public and international community since the initial press statement on April 10, 2024, confirming the cocaine seizure in Belgium.

    The expanded investigative panel, now comprising ten members including Air Commodore Gervase Wienaa and Capt. Budu Koomson (Rtd.), has further fueled suspicions both domestically and internationally.

    The NDC insists on transparency and pledges to prevent any attempts at a cover-up, especially in light of unresolved drug-related incidents involving private jets from the previous year.

    As Parliament prepares to reconvene, the NDC Caucus vows to address the issue comprehensively, signaling a potential political showdown over the handling of drug-related scandals and the quest for accountability.

    See post below:

  • 116 tonnes of cocaine seized in Antwerp

    116 tonnes of cocaine seized in Antwerp

    Belgian officials say they found the most cocaine ever at the port of Antwerp last year.

    The city by the port has become the main way drugs from South America get into Europe.

    Belgian Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem said that 116 tons of cocaine were caught in Antwerp, which is 5% more than the previous year.

    Only a little bit of the drug, maybe about one-tenth, is actually found when it arrives at the port.

    Customs officers told the media that they think they can never beat the strong drug gangs.

    Rising violence is happening in Belgium because gangs are competing for control of the profitable illegal cocaine trade.

    “Mr Van Peteghem said that these amounts are very dangerous for the safety of our ports, cities, customs and dock workers, and our families. ”

    When you drive around the big port in Antwerp, you can see why the cocaine gangs want to use it as their main place for bringing drugs into the country. It’s a big problem for the authorities to stop them.

    There are 160km (100 miles) of space along the water where lots of stuff from ships gets taken off and sent to different parts of the continent.

    It’s a fast-moving belt that carries goods that can go bad quickly and gives a big chance for the people who sell cocaine. Hiding drugs in fresh fruit crates, especially banana containers, is still a popular strategy.

    Last year, the BBC looked into how Antwerp became Europe’s biggest place to bring drugs into the country. Customs officials found out that gangs expected some of their drug shipments to be found and planned for it.

    However, the money made is very large.

    The Belgian authorities caught over 100 tonnes of drugs at the port for the first time in 2022.

    Belgium’s neighbor to the north, the Netherlands, has also found a lot more cocaine, 59. 1 tons in 2023. This makes it even more of a place where cocaine is sent to other parts of Europe, like the UK.

    In the Netherlands, most of the cocaine seized came from Ecuador, about 27 tons.

    Panama and Colombia are important places where things come from, mostly to Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.

    Police in Europe are teaming up to fight criminal gangs. They mention recent achievements, such as when they were able to break into a secure platform called EncroChat that is used by trafficking networks.

    On Tuesday night, the police arrested 22 people for drugs in Belgium. Among them were three police officers.

    Many searches were done in Brussels and Antwerp. The police found cash, expensive cars, and a weapon.

    Antwerp has had a lot of fighting and violence in the past few years, with gangs fighting each other on the city’s streets.

    Several attacks have hit the wrong places, and in January 2023, an 11-year-old girl was killed in a criminal attack.

    Lately, there has been more fights and crimes related to drugs moving into the southern part of Brussels from the port.

    Gangs shoot at their enemy’s homes to try and get the police to come and stop drug deals happening there. They don’t always want to hurt anyone, just to get attention.

    Top European officials say that organized crime is just as bad as terrorism because it causes a lot of violence and trouble.

    Former Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne had to go to a secret place because the police found out that some criminals from the Netherlands were planning to kidnap him.

    The Dutch acting Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, has been given extra protection because the police are worried that a drug gang might try to harm him.

    Belgium is having a big trial with over 120 people on trial for doing drugs.

  • Belgian woman behind New Force video allegedly arrested over forged resident document

    Belgian woman behind New Force video allegedly arrested over forged resident document

    A Belgian woman, Shalimar Abbiusi, who recently introduced herself as the spokesperson of The New Force, a group that claims to be fighting for the rights of Ghanaians, has been arrested by the Ghana Police Service (GPS) for allegedly using a forged document to obtain a resident permit in Ghana.

    This is according to a report by Media General’s 3news. Abbiusi came into the limelight after she appeared in a video that went viral on social media, in which she claimed to be the spokesperson of The New Force, a group that says it is fighting for the liberation of Ghanaians from corruption, injustice, and oppression. 

    The video sparked mixed reactions from Ghanaians, with some supporting Abbiusi‘s message, while others questioning her credibility and motive. Some also expressed doubt about the existence and legitimacy of The New Force.

    The GPS has not yet released any official statement on the reported arrest of Abbiusi.

    Details surrounding the arrest are currently limited, and The Independent Ghana is actively monitoring the situation. Updates on this unfolding story will be provided as more information becomes available.

  • Two Swedes shot and killed by suspected gunman – Belgian authorities

    Two Swedes shot and killed by suspected gunman – Belgian authorities

    A person who shot and killed two people from Sweden in a terrorist attack in Brussels has been shot by the police. This ends a search for the suspect that took place during the night. Local news reported this information on Tuesday.

    The suspect, whose identity is still not known, was shot in the chest by police in Schaerbeek, a place in the northeast of the capital city. The police then took the suspect to the hospital for treatment. This information was reported by the public broadcaster RTBF.

    According to Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, RTBF reported that he is in a special unit for critical care.

    The person believed to have shot others had a violent attack on Monday night while Belgium was hosting a soccer match against Sweden. The game was taking place at a stadium called King Baudouin Stadium, which is 3 miles away from the center of Brussels. Because of the attack, the soccer game had to be stopped during halftime.

    A person on social media claimed to be the shooter and said they were inspired by Islamic State. The Belgium prosecutor’s office said that the victims being Swedish may have been the reason for the attack.

    Right now, there is no evidence that there is a connection with the Israeli-Palestinian situation. “We have taken urgent security measures to protect Swedish fans as much as we can, based on the facts and claims,” said spokesperson Eric Van Duyse during a press conference.

    Belgian authorities strongly criticized the attack.

    “Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib expressed shock and sadness over the terrorist attack in Brussels on X” We must do everything necessary to fight against radicalism. We are thinking about the victims, their families, and the police.

    After the attack, the level of threat from terrorism in Brussels has been increased to the highest level, which is level 4. The French Interior Ministry has also increased the checks at the border between France and Belgium.

    The police were in Brussels to make sure people were safe, according to the city’s mayor, Philippe Close, who wrote about it on X.

    Close said that the police are taking action to ensure safety in and around our capital city, Brussels, after the shooting. They are working together with the Minister of the Interior. “I am at the crisis center to make sure everything is working together well. ”

    Belgium’s Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, expressed his sincere sympathies to the families affected by this cowardly attack.

    I am keeping a close eye on the situation with the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs from the Belgian Crisis Center. We are watching the situation closely and we kindly request the people of Brussels to stay alert.

    The Crisis Center of the country also shared on X and requested people to not share pictures or videos of the incident, as it would be kind to the victims.

  • Six people found responsible for the terrorist attacks in Brussels

    Six people found responsible for the terrorist attacks in Brussels

    A court in Brussels found six out of ten defendants guilty of “terrorist murder” in connection with the 2016 Brussels attacks, according to Belgian state broadcaster RTBF, on Tuesday.

    Mohamed Abrini, Oussama Atar, Osama Krayem, Salah Abdeslam, Ali El Haddad Asufi, and Bilal El Makhoukhi reportedly all received convictions for terrorist murder.

    According to the Brussels court, which found that the crimes had a terrorist motivation, the group scared the Belgian authorities by planning to murder as many people as possible.

    According to RTBF, in their respective trials, Hervé Bayingana Muhirwa and Sofien Ayari were also found guilty of assisting a terrorist organisation. It was determined that all six males had done this.

    The trial to determine whether 10 individuals were involved in the March 22, 2016, suicide bombings that left dozens of people dead and over 300 injured started last year. According to RTBF, the court determined that four more victims should be added to the list of those murdered in the attacks, increasing the total death toll to 36.

    The strikes, in which suicide bombers set off several explosions in the Brussels airport and a metro station, were claimed by ISIS.

    In 2022, Abdeslam was also found responsible for a series of deadly bomb and gun attacks that took place in Paris in 2015. Abdeslam was given a life sentence without the possibility of parole by a French court. He is believed to be the only survivor of the squad that carried out the attacks in France.

    RTBF reports that Oussama Atar, who was absent from the Brussels trial, is thought to have perished in Syria.

    The allegations against brothers Smail and Ibrahim Farisi for participating in terrorist organisation operations were reportedly withdrawn against both of them, according to RTBF. The two brothers were consequently cleared of all charges brought against them.

    The largest trial ever held in Belgium came to a close on Tuesday with the decision, according to Reuters, which involved testimony from over 370 witnesses and experts.

    Belgian foreign fighters have travelled to Syria and Iraq in greater numbers per capita than citizens of any other country in the European Union, and this was a concern for counterterrorism officials when the attacks occurred in 2016.