Belgian fugitive Raian Hachem arrested in Tourcoing after international manhunt

Operation in Tourcoing

French police arrested 23-year-old Belgian national Raian Hachem on Tuesday at approximately 20:00 in the northern city of Tourcoing, located in the Nord department. The Belgian federal police announced the capture on Wednesday, concluding an international manhunt that lasted several months under the judicial leadership of the Brussels prosecutor's office. Law enforcement agencies from multiple European partner countries contributed significant operational resources and substantial working hours to locate the fugitive. Authorities had identified Hachem as a priority target in violent drug distribution networks operating out of the Brussels metropolitan area. French officers took him into custody without reported incident after investigators successfully traced his cross-border movements into northern France.

Belgian federal police noted the importance of the detention in their official announcement.

He was considered a priority target for Belgian and European search services.

Shootings and 14-year sentence

Hachem had been considered on the run since December 2025 following multiple convictions linked to armed shootings in the Belgian capital. In late January 2026, the Brussels criminal court sentenced him to 14 years in prison for attempted murder, participation in a criminal organization, and unlawful possession of firearms. The conviction centered on a narcotics-related shooting that took place in March 2024 at the Parvis Saint-Antoine square in the Brussels municipality of Forest. Assailants discharged Kalashnikov military-style assault rifles across the public square during the incident. Multiple rounds struck and pierced the facades of residential buildings facing the square, and three people sustained gunshot injuries, with one victim left in life-threatening condition.

Placement on European most wanted lists

Following his flight from justice at the close of 2025, Belgian and international police intensified efforts to locate and apprehend Hachem. In May 2026, European law enforcement agencies officially added him to both the Belgium's Most Wanted registry and the European Union's EU Most Wanted list. Belgian investigators classified him among the most sought-after criminal targets due to his repeated involvement in armed conflicts between rival narcotics distribution syndicates. Judicial authorities stated that tracking down and capturing high-profile fugitives remains a central component of ongoing law enforcement operations targeting organized crime groups across Brussels.

Federal police emphasized their institutional focus on violent gang activity following the cross-border operation.

His arrest shows that the fight against serious violence affecting several districts of Brussels remains a priority for the police and the judiciary.

Cross-border narcotics investigations

The arrest in Tourcoing reflects wider operational challenges surrounding cross-border narcotics trafficking routes connecting Belgium and northern France. Brussels prosecutor Julien Moinil has repeatedly alerted government authorities to the severe violence generated by illicit cannabis and cocaine distribution networks throughout the capital. Moinil also pointed to a persistent shortage of personnel and investigative resources required to counter these expanding organized groups. In late August 2026, the prosecutor warned about an alarming trend involving the recruitment of French minors from cities such as Lille and Marseille to serve as low-level operatives for Brussels gangs. Criminal networks regularly operate across both sides of the Franco-Belgian frontier, as demonstrated in late August 2026 when French authorities arrested three Brussels residents in Tourcoing. Those suspects were detained on suspicion of planning violent crimes after firing military-grade weapons at the facade of a residential home.