Police have detained eight people and raided 18 homes in Brussels and Leuven in connection with death threats against a top prosecutor known for fighting organized crime and drug trafficking.

Law enforcement in Brussels received information in July about a possible plot to attack Julien Moinil, the city’s public prosecutor, as reported by Belgian news outlets. The threat level against Moinil, who took office in January and is under police protection, was raised to four, the highest category, after police learned of the alleged plans.

“The main suspects have criminal records for organized drug trafficking. They are active within the Albanian criminal underworld,” said the Belgian state prosecutor’s department on Tuesday. It remains unclear whether the suspects actually planned an attack on Moinil.

Brussels has struggled with drug-related crime and violence for the last several years, with dozens of shootings. By the end of October, 78 shootings had been recorded in 2025. Amid a particularly violent week in August, Moinil lambasted politicians for their lenient stance on gun violence, warning that “anyone in Brussels can be hit a by a stray bullet.”

In 2024, 92 shootings claimed the lives of nine people, according to official figures.

In September, Belgian Security and Home Affairs Minister Bernard Quintin sparked debate when he suggested soldiers could be deployed on the streets of Brussels for their “shock effect” alongside police. In a recent anonymous open letter, a judge in Antwerp said drug trafficking is turning Belgium into a “narco-state” and that “extensive mafia-like structures have taken root.”

The alleged plot against Moinil raises questions about the safety of other officials involved in combating drug violence.

“This investigation once again shows the absolute necessity to better protect police officers and magistrates who fight tirelessly every day against organized crime and who, as a result, are targeted by these organizations,” Federal Prosecutor Ann Fransen told Belgian media on Tuesday.