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Cheap hard drugs are fueling a surge in violence in Brussels, says Mayor Philippe Close.
"I must point out that it is cheaper to snort a dose of cocaine than to drink rum, that synthetic drug labs are everywhere, and that the money involved is simply staggering."
"A single point of sale can bring in 20,000 euros a day," Close said in an interview published in Le Soir on Friday, while speaking about the explosion of drug-related violence in the city.
Close warned that more police on the ground will not solve the issue and that it is essential to debate why drugs have such a big impact in the EU capital and work with health professionals to address the issue.
"There is an endemic problem, which is that according to wastewater analyses, Brussels and Antwerp are in the top 5 European countries for drug consumption. And if we address trafficking without asking questions about this consumption of cocaine or synthetic drugs, we will not win this battle," he said.
Low-cost and easily available narcotics, especially the large quantities of cocaine arriving through the port of Antwerp, make Belgium a hub for drug distribution in Europe.
This year alone, there have been at least 60 shootings in Brussels as the illegal drug trade fuels a boom in violent crime. In 2024, 92 shootings claimed the lives of nine people, according to official figures.
To address this issue, the Belgian government approved in July a unification of Brussels' 6 police zones into a single unit, which will come into effect in early 2027. Currently, each police zone has its own regulations and officers can only operate within their specific jurisdiction, which criminal gangs exploit by moving between zones to evade law enforcement.
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