Belgian police carry out checks on international buses

The federal police on Saturday for the first time carried out inspections on low-fare international buses with a stop in Antwerp. The checks found five undocumented travellers and resulted in six police reports for drug possession. One person was detained for driving under the influence of narcotics.

The aim of the initiative was to get a general idea of who uses such buses to travel around Europe, as it has come to light that some criminals and terrorists use them to travel anonymously.

The buses, which often depart from Brussels North Station, were localised on the motorways by police helicopter, and then escorted to the police station by agents on motorcycle. A total of nine buses and 243 passengers were checked. Dogs were brought in to sniff the luggage for explosives, drugs or cash, and the bus drivers were questioned on their knowledge of traffic laws.

Interior affairs minister Jan Jambon and Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever were present for the large-scale police action.