Sunday, November 22, 2015

Six British men driving three old ambulances are arrested in Belgium after they are seen near an Esso petrol station used by fugitive terrorist Salah Abdeslam

Six British men driving three old ambulances are arrested in Belgium after they are seen near an Esso petrol station used by fugitive terrorist Salah Abdeslam 

  • Officers swooped in to make arrests near Brussels on six armoured trucks
  • Same petrol garage was used by on the run Paris terrorist Salah Abdeslam
  • Brussels locked down and terror threat raised to its highest level yesterday
  • Officials are meeting to discuss security over fears of an 'imminent' attack 
  • See more of the latest news on the terrorists behind the Paris attacks 


Six Pakistani born British men were arrested in Belgium yesterday after being spotted in three 'old ambulances' at a petrol station used by Paris terrorist Salah Abdeslam, it was reported.

Armed police in six armoured trucks swooped in to arrest the men at around 2pm yesterday. They screamed at them to get out of the vehicles parked at an Esso garage said to be used by on the run Paris gunman and Europe's most wanted man, Abdeslam, 

The Britons were arrested just 20 miles from Brussels which was locked down for a second day today over fears of an 'imminent' Paris style attack.

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Suspicious: Armed officers in six armoured trucks moved into arrest the men who were spotted in three old ambulances (two pictured) at a Belgian petrol station
Suspicious: Armed officers in six armoured trucks moved into arrest the men who were spotted in three old ambulances (two pictured) at a Belgian petrol station
Raid: Police screamed at the men, one of whom is known to British police, to get out of the ambulances parked at an Esso garage in Bierges
Raid: Police screamed at the men, one of whom is known to British police, to get out of the ambulances parked at an Esso garage in Bierges
Evidence: Police found piles of clothes, food and money inside the old ambulances, raising fears that the men may have been heading to Syria
Evidence: Police found piles of clothes, food and money inside the old ambulances, raising fears that the men may have been heading to Syria
Police officers, who inspected the contents of the three old ambulances overnight, were under orders to take them alive, Matthew Drake of the Sunday People reported. 

Officers found clothes, food and money inside the ambulances which were parked beside the E411 highway in Bierges, raising fears they may have been heading to Syria, it was reported.
Fugitive: One of the petrol station's workers said Paris terror suspected Salah Abdeslam (pictured) was a regular
Fugitive: One of the petrol station's workers said Paris terror suspected Salah Abdeslam (pictured) was a regular

The arrested men, one of whom is known to British police, did not speak French but have cooperated with detectives, a Belgian police commissioner said. 

He told the Sunday People: 'Shortly before 1400 hours (2pm), we found the ­presence old ambulances, now transformed into vans, on the highway rest area.' 

One of the petrol station's workers said Abdeslam, who is believed to have taken part in the Paris massacres which killed 130, was a regular at the garage and remembers him being 'quite nice, smiling'.

Abdeslam is said to be hiding out in the Belgian town of Molenbeek, which is considered the 'jihadi capital of Europe'. 

Police are investigating links to ISIS because using old ambulances is said to be one of the terror group's methods to conceal jihadis. 

The Wavre police force, who responded to reports of the suspicious ambulances said on its Facebook account yesterday: 'This afternoon, the police of Wavre was called and intervened following the presence of people and vehicles suspects on the motorway area of Bierges.

'These events are not related to the current terrorist context, contrary to the information given in some media.'

Belgian security officials will meet today to decide whether the extend the security measures which turned Brussels into a ghost town.

The capital closed its metro system, shut shops and flooded the streets with armed police yesterday as the hunt for Paris gunman, Belgian born Abdeslam, was stepped up.

Brussels' historic Grand Place, usually bustling with tourists, has been quiet and empty over the weekend, save a few soldiers and the armoured vehicle stood outside the town hall.

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