Belgium should fight against weapons trafficking: minister

Belgium should fight weapons trafficking from Eastern Europe once again, the Belgian press reported Monday, quoting Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens.

According to the minister, it was "obvious" that there had been "too many" illegal and demilitarized Kalashnikovs arriving in Belgium from Eastern Europe.

"We need to fight against it again," Geens said in response to reports saying the gunman on a Thalys train in France on Friday had purchased his gun in Belgium.

The shooter, Ayoub El Khazzani, "more than likely" bought his weapon in Belgium, the French press reported, citing a source close to the investigation.

However, Geens said he was "not sure" if El Khazzani had been to Syria and was "even less" sure about whether he had obtained his Kalashnikov in Belgium.

A shooting took place Friday on a high-speed train between Paris and Amsterdam, injuring three people. The gunman had a Kalashnikov assault rifle, an automatic pistol, nine magazines, and a cutter, according to a police source.

The Belgian prosecutor's office opened an investigation to identify the possible links between the Thalys shooter and the jihadist circles operating on Belgian soil. Investigators believed the attack could have been sponsored and the man could have received help, "at least to get weapons." Endit