Shootings surge as drug gangs torment Brussels

Drug dealing is happening in plain sight here. Only five minutes after I arrive, I witness a transaction.

A buyer walks up to the seller, shakes their hand, and walks away with the drugs. Crack has become widely consumed amongst the poorest in this area of Brussels.

“Things have changed in the past six months,” says Murielle. “The business has intensified. Sometimes you even see consumers queuing to buy drugs. And now gangs are fighting over this spot.”

A successful drug-dealing point in Brussels nets up to €50,000 ($58,000; £43,000) per day or more for the dealer, according to the chief of Brussels South Police, Jurgen de Landsheer.

Organised crime in the Belgian capital has become significantly more violent, he says.

At the heart of it all is money. There are more than 200 drug-dealing points across the city, according to the police.

The rise of drug-related violence in the Belgian capital echoes the situation of other European cities such as the French port of Marseille.

Cocaine has become widely available in Europe, the continent’s ports serving as entry points for the drug. The port of Antwerp, just 40km (25 miles) away, has seen record cocaine seizures in recent years.