A plot to assassinate the chief prosecutor is uncovered in Brussels

Belgian police arrested eight people on Tuesday on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Brussels' chief prosecutor. The crackdown followed searches of 18 premises, mostly in Brussels.

The suspects have links to the Albanian mafia and are known to be involved in organised drug trafficking, according to investigators. Information about the plot emerged as early as July this year.

Brussels has struggled in recent years with rising violence between drug gangs, which has also necessitated a security crackdown in the city's metro.

Belgian authorities warn that more than a hundred dangerous criminal networks operate in the country.

An attack on the public prosecutor would therefore constitute a serious interference in the country's judicial system.

(reuters, swag)