Cocaine City? Gang wars on the rise as drug dealers fight for territory in EU capital Brussels
By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press
SAINT-GILLES, Belgium (AP) — As record amounts of cocaine are seized in Europe, drug-related violence is taking hold of Brussels. Shootings for the control of territory have increased, the population is fed up and police are seizing drugs and arresting traffickers almost daily. Dealers recently fought in the heart of the city for several consecutive days. One shooting in a popular and tourist neighborhood took place on Tuesday, the day before Lent when many schools were closed to allow children to take to the streets. The violence culminated with the killing of a suspected drug dealer.