Brussels issues over 2,000 instant fines to drug buyers
Brussels police have issued more than 2,000 on-the-spot fines to drug buyers this year, following a new policy from public prosecutor Julien Moinil. The aim is to reduce demand in neighbourhoods affected by drug dealing and related violence.
Police zones most impacted by drug activity recorded 2,438 fines so far, according to Bruzz. Brussels-City/Ixelles accounts for the largest share (over 1,400), followed by Brussels South (558), mainly in Anderlecht and Saint-Gilles. Brussels North (278) and Brussels West (204) follow. Most fines concern possession in known dealing areas, with some issued at festivals.
Fines start at 75 euros for cannabis and rise to 300 euros for cocaine, LSD or MDMA. People carrying several types of drugs can be fined up to 500 euros, after which a standard police report is made.
Police say the system cuts paperwork and avoids cases being dropped because of limited capacity at the prosecutor’s office. Several zones report quieter hotspots, including former “drive-in” dealing points. In Brussels South, activity in long-troubled areas such as Peterbos has fallen noticeably.
The prosecutor stresses that targeting buyers is only one part of the wider fight against drug crime, but the measure is now mandatory across all Brussels zones.
Brussels issues far more of these fines than the rest of Belgium, accounting for 28 per cent of the national total.
Drugs are shown at the National Institute for Criminalistics and Criminology during a press briefing on the results of the analysis of more than 2,400 samples taken at festivals in 2024 and 2025 © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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