Three suspects arrested in Spain after Belgian officer’s murder, allegedly heading to Morocco
Three suspects in the murder of Nordine El Talbi, a Belgian police officer of Moroccan origin, have been arrested in Spain as they were apparently trying to reach Morocco. Six people have been detained in three countries. The Brussels prosecutor has revealed details of the international manhunt.
Their alleged flight came to an end in Almería, in southern Spain. Three suspects wanted in the investigation into the murder of Nordine El Talbi were intercepted by the Guardia Civil. They were apparently trying to reach Morocco, Brussels King’s Prosecutor Julien Moinil revealed on Sunday, 18 October, at a press conference, BRUZZ reported.
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The three suspects were subject to international arrest warrants. Belgium has requested their extradition. The Spanish justice system must now rule on their transfer. The operation was carried out with the cooperation of Belgian and Spanish authorities.
The manhunt also continued in France. Police arrested a fourth suspect at a Paris train station as he was also preparing to flee. Two other people were detained in Belgium. In total, six people from Brussels—five adults and one minor—are now under arrest warrants. All were already known to the justice system in cases related to drugs.
A car theft that led to the tragedy
The case dates back to the night of 12–13 October. Armed individuals stole a car in Tubize, south of Brussels. A few hours later, the vehicle was located in the municipality of Jette. Nordine El Talbi, a 41-year-old inspector with the Anti-Aggression Brigade, approached on foot and in plain clothes to scout the area. He was shot in the head. His colleagues found him seriously wounded. The father of two later died of his injuries.
The investigation quickly led police to suspect drug trafficking. Drugs had been found in the stolen vehicle. According to the prosecutor’s office, five of the six people detained were in the car. Investigators are working to reconstruct their movements and establish the exact circumstances of the fatal shooting.
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Three firearms were also found near the vehicle. Ballistic and DNA analyses are expected to identify the weapon used and clarify the suspects’ respective roles. Prosecutor Julien Moinil stressed that several people may have been involved in the murder, beyond the person who fired the shot.
The latest arrests come two days after the national tribute to Nordine El Talbi at Brussels’ Cinquantenaire. On Friday, more than a thousand police officers gathered to pay tribute to their colleague of Moroccan origin, nicknamed “James.” On Sunday, the prosecutor thanked investigators and the French and Spanish authorities, whose cooperation led to the suspects’ arrests in Paris and Almería.