Belgium: Security services knew of Belliraj weapon smuggling

Belgian State Security was aware that informant Abdelkader Belliraj was involved in weapon smuggling, according to the new report of Comité I, the parliamentary committee in charge of the intelligence services.

Comité I could not answer all the questions regarding the Belliraj case, and encountered information that must still be kept secret.

However, it is meanwhile certain that Belliraj, currently suspect in Belgium for several murders and who was arrested in February in Morocco for terrorist activities, also worked for other intelligence services.

Belgian Mohamed El Bay, Belliraj's weapons supplier, will be extradited by Spain to Morocco. El-Bay was not involved in the Belliraj gang murders, but had supplied them with weapons and explosives.

Meanwhile, the lack of cooperation between the Belgian and Moroccan security services is cause for strained relations between the two countries. Belgium is accusing Morocco of not informing them on time of the terrorism arrests, which gave the terrorism suspects time to hide evidence. Morocco is accusing Belgium of not informing them of Belgium terrorism investigations.

Sources: HLN 1, 2; De Morgen (Dutch)

See also: Belgium: Smuggling weapons in coffins

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