The Belgian police searched three military barracks and eight homes early in the morning on Wednesday. This is an investigation into right-wing movements within the Armed Forces.
Belgium has been on edge since the Jürgen Conings case. Earlier this year, a big alarm was sounded after the professional soldier with heavy weapons disappeared from a barracks. The corporal with extreme right-wing ideas seized the coronavirus crisis to make threats to the government and virologists. Especially the well-known professor Marc Van Ranst suffered. The Flemish ’Jaap van Dissel ‘ had to go into hiding with his family for weeks.Far right
The searches do not have a direct connection with this case, but are part of a broader investigation into the far right within Defence. Police have visited barracks in Sint-Truiden, Florennes and Heverlee, according to a spokesperson of the public prosecutor’s office. In addition, eight homes of soldiers and their loved ones have been investigated. No arrests have been made.
The Justice Department does not expect to be able to make any announcements about the investigation for the time being. The Conings case has brought more to the table. After information from intelligence services, for example, measures were taken against more than eleven soldiers with extreme right-wing sympathies. In the meantime, the Ministry of Defence has tightened the screening of its personnel.
With Conings case, a manhunt was organized by the army for weeks. His lifeless body was finally found last summer in Hoge Kempen National Park, not far from the border with the Netherlands. The investigation into this case has not yet been completed.
