“I don’t want a political war, because that’s not my role. But this can’t last,” Moinil said.
There have been several shootings in Brussels since the beginning of February, in which two people have been killed and at least three injured. Authorities have linked most of the gunfire to drug trafficking and disputes between gangs attempting to gain territory.
The current epidemic of violence began shortly before dawn broke on Feb. 5, when two masked men shot Kalashnikov-style weapons outside the Clemenceau metro station in the west of Brussels. The shooting triggered an hours-long manhunt in the metro tunnels underneath the city, paralyzing part of the network for most of the day.
Another person was injured in a shooting Monday evening in the vicinity of the Saint-Guidon metro station in the same district. Police are still looking for the perpetrator.
On Monday, Belgium’s Interior Minister Bernard Quintin announced that he will work together with Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden to find solutions to drug-related violence in Brussels and pledged to strengthen the federal police.
Moinil said during the meeting Tuesday that he will be “very vigilant” about ensuring the promised police reinforcements actually arrive.