Investigations

Some remarkable figures for 2023:

  • 4,087 new investigations
  • 24.6% of the investigation capacity dedicated to the fight against drug trafficking
  • 213,670,598 euros seized
  • 135 hidden spaces discovered in vehicles: seizures including 2,850,590 euros and 2.3 tons of cocaine

Ranking of crime phenomena 2023 based on investigation capacity deployment by the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP)

  1. Drug-related crime: 24.6%
  2. Violent crime: 17.3%
  3. Money laundering: 14.6%
  4. Thefts: 7.6%
  5. Human trafficking: 7.1%
  6. Terrorism: 6.7%
  7. EcoFin: 6.1%

The EcoFin category refers to economic and financial crime (tax fraud, VAT fraud, social fraud, swindle, counterfeiting, fraudulent bankruptcy, misuse of company assets, breach of trust, counterfeiting of currency). Offences of corruption and money laundering are each dealt with in separate categories.

 

 

Organised Crime Observatory

In 2023, the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP) set up the Organized Crime Observatory. The latter aims to gain a better understanding of the threat posed by criminal organizations, the scale and forms of their activities, and their destabilizing effects. The ultimate goal for the Federal Police is to get a continuous and dynamic picture of organized and serious crime in Belgium, including recent and emerging trends. It is the ambition of the Organized Crime Observatory to become a benchmark for authorities, police forces and the academic world in terms of expertise on the challenges surrounding organized crime in Belgium.

 

 

Tackling social and tax fraud: MOTEM 

Cooperation between the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP) and the specialized services within a multidisciplinary investigation team (MOTEM) plays an important part in the fight against social and tax fraud. 

Tackling social and tax fraud: MOTEM

The circular letter COL 02/2023 of the Board of Prosecutors-General established the framework within which a MOTEM can be set up in the field of tax fraud.

Concretely, these are investigations involving Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP) investigators and tax specialists in the capacity of judicial police officers. Twenty-five tax specialists were designated to be part of these MOTEMs.

It should be noted that a MOTEM is an ad hoc team, thus only for the duration of the investigation. Before and after, the tax specialists work within their base service and the police investigators work within their entity.

In addition to the COL 02/2023, the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP) also drafted a general directive outlining the duties and obligations of the investigation units.

In 2023:

  • 17 MOTEMs were set up to investigate VAT carousels, domicile fraud, false invoicing, etc.
  • These were commissioned by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the Belgian district public prosecutor's offices.

 

Focus on cybercrime

The ICT files included cybercrime investigations: computer-related forgery, phishing, ransomware, hacking, and intercepting communications.

A large part of the work of the Computer Crime Units involves providing support to investigators from both the Federal Police and the Local Police. However, the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP) also conducts complex investigations targeting the most serious cybercrimes.

Evolution of the number of ICT investigations by the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP):

  • Since 2022, the number of ICT investigations conducted by the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP) has sharply risen, from 137 in 2020 to 210 in 2023.
  • This number represents 5.14% of all investigations initiated or taken over by the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP). This number is likely to continue to rise significantly in coming years.

To tackle phishing, it is crucial to increase the speed of the information process. Therefore, early 2023, the 'Phishing GPI' project was launched in cooperation with the judicial authorities and the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB). This project aims to develop a digital tool to simplify and standardize the registration of phishing, improve the automatic flow to financial institutions and the public prosecutor's office, and get a better picture at national level. The beneficiaries are the Belgian Integrated Police, the public prosecutor’s offices, banks, the Federal Public Service Economy, and ultimately the aggrieved citizens.

 

 

Sentences pronounced in judicial files

In 2023, as a result of investigations conducted by the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP), prison sentences were pronounced for a total of 4,707 years.

This was calculated on the basis of comparisons between the data recorded by the judicial authorities and the files recorded by the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP). It should be noted that the investigative acts in files of a certain size often require many months of work: the sentences pronounced in 2023 therefore relate in most cases to files opened years ago.

Most of the sentences concern drug-related offences. Indeed, they represent 45% or 2,130 years.

Sentences pronounced in judicial files

Although drug-related offences do not account for 45% of the investigation hours or files processed by the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP), it is not surprising that those offences alone account for almost half of the convictions. Indeed, the more organized nature of drug-related crime and its context (violence, threats, impact on public health, etc.) more often give rise to more severe prison sentences than other phenomena (e.g. EcoFin). Moreover, several cases involving particularly serious or organized offences had their judicial outcome in 2023 (e.g. the 2021 SKY ECC wave).

 

 

Transversal and international approach to organised crime

The Federal Police plays a leading part in tackling organized crime more efficiently. Besides the Federal Judicial Police (PJF/FGP) other components also contribute to this approach. In particular, this translates into international actions (in partnership with other countries or with Europol, INTERPOL, etc.), an administrative approach to organized crime and other support measures.

The importance of a transversal, comprehensive, international, and coordinated approach to organized crime is beyond dispute.

To combat cocaine trafficking in the port of Antwerp, for example, a Port Security Corps with 70 security officers was created within the Maritime and River Police (SPN).

More generally, the contribution of the Maritime and River Police (SPN) to combating drug trafficking through the ports also translated into the following number of arrests:

  • 157 arrests in the context of drug investigations/violations (150 in Antwerp, 7 in Ghent).

The Federal Highway Police (DAH) also organizes regular (international) police operations targeting drug smuggling networks, itinerant gangs of thieves, etc.  

  • Five times a year, a multi-day Etoile action against drug distribution networks takes place as part of the Hazeldonk cooperation with the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg. 
Transversal and international approach to organised crime

The district information and expertise centre (ARIEC/CIEAR) also plays a role in the transversal and comprehensive approach to crime that undermines society. Since 2023, like in the districts of Antwerp, Limburg and Namur before, information and expertise centres have been put in place in all other districts. The centre takes the lead in combating security phenomena through a proactive administrative approach in collaboration with administrative authorities and socio-economic inspection services.

Today, fighting organized crime is unimaginable without international police cooperation. In this regard, the Federal Police concluded Memorandums of Understanding with Ecuador and Argentina in 2023. These international cooperation agreements make it easier for our police investigators to further dismantle the criminal networks responsible for international cocaine trafficking, thanks to enhanced police information exchange and smoother execution of our international requests for mutual legal assistance.

Searches

Last year, the Federal Police's Wanted Notices service distributed 369 notices to the media. This led to 70% of the cases being resolved.

In 2023, 10 cases out of 24 (42%) were resolved through the TV show ‘Faroek Online’. And, if we look at the current season (from September 2023 to June 2024), we are even heading for a resolve rate of 50%!

Thanks to the Search and Information Bulletin (BRI/RIB), which was developed for all units of the Integrated Police, 647 perpetrators could be identified as a result of the 4,999 messages published in 2023. Altogether, the Search and Information Bulletin made it possible to resolve 393 judicial cases.

There were 614 high-risk disappearances in 2023, which is a 24% decrease compared to 2022. In total, some 581 cases were closed (95%), with 481 missing persons found alive (83%).

Operation 'Kerkhof', which will last several years, aims to identify anonymously buried people. Led by the Missing Persons Unit of the Federal Police, the operation is being conducted district by district (in 2023 in Leuven and Limburg).

The international operation Identify Me, coordinated by INTERPOL, led to the clarification of a 31-year-old cold case in Antwerp. This initiative, which is the result of close cooperation with INTERPOL and the Dutch and German police forces, will be renewed and extended to other partners.

Searches

In 2023, the Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST), a unit specialized in tracking down fugitive convicted criminals, opened 194 Belgian files (leading to 44 arrests in the same year) and 44 international files (27 arrests).

One new Most Wanted was published in 2023, which was resolved within 72 hours thanks to outstanding cooperation with the Local Police (Brussels-Midi unit).