Authorities have been mapping criminal activity in Brussels’ Matonge district since the start of the year and actively dismantling street-level drug networks through coordinated investigations and seizures.

In the latest operation, 13 suspects were charged with drug trafficking and possession in association, along with money laundering, as seizures included marijuana, cocaine, cash, trafficking equipment, luxury goods, and digital devices.

Since the start of the year, 122 street-dealing operations have led to 97 arrests and 45 people remanded in custody, with seizures totaling more than 77,000 euros, 17 kilograms of marijuana, 1 kilogram of cocaine, 500 grams of heroin, five firearms, and 15 establishments shut down legally.

A major Brussels operation targeting Matonge drug networks involved 25 searches nationwide, resulting in 13 suspects being remanded in custody under the direction of the Brussels Prosecutor’s Office.

The investigation continues under a judge of instruction, while local police maintain ongoing street actions to deter crime.

Matonge remains a long-standing hotspot for street-level drug dealing, with authorities highlighting nuisance to residents as a key concern.

Public prosecutors opened a large-scale, structurally oriented investigation to dismantle criminal networks, coordinating Monday searches across multiple police zones with federal police support.