Explosion Rocks Antwerp Neighborhood, Targets Home Linked to Drug Case

The incident, which occurred around 2:15 a.m., quickly mobilized emergency services. The house belonging to the E.Y. family, two members of whom were convicted in 2021 for a cocaine trafficking case, appears to be the target of the attack.

In addition to the damage to the targeted house, several parked vehicles were also damaged, and windows of surrounding buildings were shattered by the force of the explosion. The Antwerp police set up a security perimeter and specialized teams, including the forensic laboratory and the Dovo demining service, were dispatched for in-depth analysis.

This incident may not be an isolated act. The targeted house belongs to a family whose two members, Ali and Yousef Bouchiar, were involved in a drug case in 2021. This track, although unconfirmed, directs the investigation towards a possible score-settling related to drug trafficking.

The Bouchiar brothers had been at the heart of a clumsy attempt to recover cocaine in 2018, involving a car chase with the police and resulting in their conviction in 2021. The elder brother received a prison sentence, while the younger one, according to his lawyer, would have been dragged into this risky venture against his will.