The core federal cabinet on Friday agreed in principle on Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden’s (CD&V) proposal to appoint a national drugs commissioner. Her cabinet confirmed this.
Verlinden launched the idea for a drugs commissioner Thursday in the plenary session of the House of Representatives, where she faced questions about the drug-related shooting incident in Merksem. In that incident, an 11-year-old girl was killed on Monday.
The Antwerp correctional court sentenced Younes ‘El Magico’ E.B. (28) on Friday to eight years in prison and a 32,000 euro fine for importing cocaine through the Antwerp port. He is an uncle of the girl from Merksem who was shot dead. His immediate arrest was ordered.
The drugs commissioner is to streamline and coordinate the actions of different policy levels, Belga reported on Friday evening, 13 January.
The intention is to appoint the drugs commissioner “as soon as possible”, Belga heard from the Verlinden cabinet.
Determined
The minister discussed the Merksem incident on Friday during a telephone conversation with European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, the latter tweeted. Johansson will visit the port of Antwerp on 7 February, she announced. “We are determined to step up the fight against drug crime,” she echoed.
