Sixth person arrested for attempted kidnapping of Belgian Justice Minister

A sixth suspect has been arrested in the Netherlands in the investigation into threats made against Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, VRT News reports and the federal public prosecutor's office confirms. The suspect was arrested on 5 January and the Dutch judiciary will decide on his transfer to Belgium in February.

On 24 September 2022, the news emerged that the Belgian Minister of Justice's home in the city of Kortrijk had been placed under increased security by the National Crisis Centre due to a possible threat. The exact nature of the threat has not been revealed, but is said to involve a plot to kidnap the minister. A gun, cable ties and petrol bottles were found in an abandoned car. Van Quickenborne and his family were taken to a safe house.

Three suspects were arrested in the Dutch cities of The Hague and Leidschendam on the night of 23-24 September. A fourth was apprehended a day later in The Hague. The suspects were extradited to Belgium and have since remained in pre-trial detention. A fifth suspect arrested in the Netherlands in December was extradited to Belgium on Wednesday.

By the end of September, Van Quickenborne and his family were able to leave the safe house, but were forced back into hiding in early December.

(KOR)

^{Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}