Belgian authorities are seeking the extradition of a convicted arms trafficker who was arrested in Portugal this week after a year-long run from justice.

Federal police said Friday that they finally picked up Jacques Monsieur's trail when they monitored the transport of nine horses to an estate in Evora in eastern Portugal, where the equine enthusiast was finally caught.

Police said in a statement that "the fugitive had a secret hideaway in a big mansion next to the stables." Police said Monsieur had been convicted and sentenced to four years in prison last year for illegal arms trafficking to several nations including Libya.

In 2010, he had already been sentenced to two years imprisonment in the United States on arms trafficking charges. </s> BRUSSELS - Belgian authorities are seeking the extradition of a convicted arms trafficker who was arrested in Portugal this week after a year-long run from justice.

Federal police said Friday that they finally picked up Jacques Monsieur’s trail when they monitored the transport of nine horses to an estate in Evora in eastern Portugal, where the equine enthusiast was finally caught.

Police said in a statement that “the fugitive had a secret hideaway in a big mansion next to the stables.” Police said Monsieur had been convicted and sentenced to four years in prison last year for illegal arms trafficking to several nations including Libya.

In 2010, he had already been sentenced to two years imprisonment in the United States on arms trafficking charges.

Get more of the Star in your inbox Never miss the latest news from the Star. Sign up for our newsletters to get today's top stories, your favourite columnists and lots more in your inbox Sign Up Now </s> Jacques Monsieur, a notorious arms trafficker sentenced last year to four years in prison by a court in Belgium but since then a fugitive, has been arrested in a small village in Portugal, the federal police confirmed, after a report by VTM News.

Monsieur has a long history of dubious and downright illegal arms trades, and is known to law enforcement authorities the world over. In June 2017 he was sentenced to three years and fined 300,000 euros for having delivered automatic weapons, ammunition, tanks helicopters planes and other military equipment to countries at war, including Libya, Chad, Pakistan and Iran, in breach of international sanctions.

His history, according to VTM, dates back to the 1980s, when he supplied arms to Iran in the long war with Iraq. Since then he has had convictions in the United States, in connection with the notorious Iran-Contra affair, and in France. According to VTM, there has not been an armed conflict in the last 35 years in which he was not involved as a trafficker of weapons.

He appealed the conviction, and the Court of Appeal in Brussels last year responded by increasing his sentence to four years, and bumping his fine up to 1.2 million euros.

He took flight, and proved untraceable for a time. He is known to own a farm in Tarascon in France, where he owns a number of horses. The place was searched and placed under surveillance, but there was no sign of Monsieur.

Then last month, nine of his horses were transported to Portugal, and the trace was followed by the Fugitive Action Search Team (FAST) of the federal police, who finally tracked Monsieur down to a discreet property with stables.

He will appear before a court in Portugal today, where Belgium will request his extradition to allow him to serve his sentence. </s> ANTWERP, BELGIUM: Police in the northern Belgian city of Antwerp said yesterday they had detained a man who tried to enter the main pedestrianised shopping street in a car at high speed, adding that security in the city would be stepped up.

"At about 11am (6pm, Singapore time) a vehicle entered De Meir at high speed due to which pedestrians had to jump away," a police spokesman said, referring to the street name.

He added that the driver was arrested and additional police and military personnel had been deployed to the centre of Antwerp, Reuters reported.

"Different arms were found in the boot - bladed weapons, a riot gun (rifle) and a container of liquid that is still unidentifiable," a prosecutor's statement said.

Antwerp police chief Serge Muyters said: "Our army colleagues spotted it and tried to bring the vehicle to a halt. But the driver broke free and drove through the red light towards the port quays.

"The suspect, a man of north African origin, was immediately arrested."

The federal prosecutor's office, which has taken over the investigation, named the suspect as Mohamed R, a 39-year-old resident of France.

An army disposal squad was sent to the scene. </s> Police in Belgium have arrested a French man of North African origin in the city of Antwerp after a chase near River Scheldt, it has been claimed. The rapid response team was called to St Michael's Quay, at Fortune Street, and the vehicle and the driver was intercepted. Weapons were reportedly found in the car which is reported to have been registered in France.

Antwerp is Belgium's second largest city and the army is now working with the police. It has been claimed the man tried to ram a crowded street in the city. Police apprehended a man who tried to enter the main pedestrianised shopping street in a car at high speed.

Now security in the city has been stepped up. "At about 11 am this morning a vehicle entered De Meir at high speed due to which pedestrians had to jump away," a police spokesman told a news conference, referring to the street name. He added the driver was later arrested and additional police and military personnel had been deployed to the centre of the city, but did not give any further details.

Mayor Bart de Wever has raised the alert level and increased the number of police officers and soldiers on the streets. A perimeter was established around the suspect vehicle and the bomb squad arrived. A federal judicial police department terrorism has taken over the investigation. " </s> BRUSSELS: Belgian authorities have detained two people suspected of plotting a bomb attack on a meeting in France of Iranian political group People's Mujahideen of Iran, prosecutors said on Monday.

The two were intercepted by Belgian police on Saturday, with 500 grams (1.1 lb) of TATP, a home made explosive produced of easily available chemicals, as well as a detonation device found in their car. </s> Spanish police today released images of over 10,000 seized weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, they said were destined to be sold to organised crime groups and terrorist organisations. Police announced in January they had made a major weapons haul but only now released pictures and a final tally of the results of their operation against firearms trafficking. They said they had launched their investigation following a shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels in May 2014 that killed four people.

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The seized weapons included about 9,000 CETME rifles, 1,000 brand-name rifles, 400 howitzers, anti-aircraft guns, grenades, pistols and revolvers.

The police pictures showed stacks of assault rifles and other guns side by side at a warehouse.

“The dismantled group, made up of five people who were arrested, legally bought out-of-commission weapons which they then reactivated and sold to organised crime groups and terrorist organisations,” police said in a statement.

Police also found an illegal workshop near the northern city of Bilbao with tools to manipulate and reactivate weapons as part of their operation carried out with the help of Europol.

The firearms were sold mainly in Spain, France and Belgium, Europol said in a separate statement.

“The seized weapons had an easy journey in the black market and posed a significant risk of being acquired by organised crime groups and terrorists,” it said.

French national Mehdi Nemmouche was arrested in Marseille in southern France on May 30, 2014, on suspicion of having carried out the attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels.

Prosecutors said he was carrying a Kalashnikov, another gun and ammunition similar to that used in the shooting.

The attack prompted police forces across Europe to step up their investigations into illegal weapons sales.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now </s> BRUSSELS — Belgian authorities on Thursday tightened security in the port of Antwerp after a Frenchman drove his car at high speed through a busy shopping area, forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way.

The federal prosecutor’s office said the car was intercepted late Thursday morning at the port docks and a man, identified as 39-year-old Mohamed R. and living in France, was arrested. Authorities then raised security in the centre of town.

In the car, authorities said they found knives, a shotgun and a gas can with an unknown liquid.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The incident appeared to have the hallmarks of several extremist attacks in Europe — a car in a busy area bent on mowing down pedestrians. Vehicles were used last year in attacks in Nice and Berlin, as well as on Wednesday in London, where four people died in a rampage close to Parliament.

The office said “because of these elements, and the events in London yesterday, the case is being taken on by the federal prosecutor’s office,” which usually deals with extremist attacks.

Prime Minister Charles Michel said “we remain vigilant. Our security services have done excellent work.” He also expressed sincere condolences to British Prime Minister Theresa May. We are working in close co-operation with our security and intelligence services, and of course I assured my counterpart that she could count on our support and co-operation.“

The events happened a day after the nation held remembrance services for the Brussels airport and subway attacks, which killed 32 people on March 22, 2016.

Belgium has been living under the second highest anti-terror alarm ever since, and soldiers in the busy shopping street were immediately involved in trying to control and stop the car, which was speeding away at high speed. </s> An Iranian diplomat has been arrested along with two people suspected of plotting a bomb attack on a meeting of an exiled Iranian opposition group in France, Belgian authorities said yesterday.

President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and several former European and Arab ministers were among those attending the meeting of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran.

The two suspects in Belgium were intercepted by Belgian police on Saturday, with 500 grams of TATP, a home-made explosive produced of easily available chemicals, as well as a detonation device found in their car, a joint statement by the Belgian prosecutor and the intelligence services said.

The 38-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, identified only as Amir S. and Nasimeh N., were charged with attempted terrorist murder and preparation of a terrorist act, it said.

Two arrests linked to the Belgian case were made in France and Germany. The person arrested in Germany was a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in the Austrian capital Vienna, the Belgian statement said.

Staff at the embassy said the ambassador was not immediately available for comment. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is due to visit Austria tomorrow.

The Belgian statement gave no further details about diplomat, other than saying they were suspected of having been in contact with the Belgian pair arrested. It gave no details about the fourth suspect, arrested in France.

NCRI is an umbrella bloc of opposition groups in exile that seek an end to Shiite Muslim clerical rule in Iran.
Belgian Federal Police confirm that fugitive Belgian large weapons smuggler and arms trafficker Jacques Monsieur was arrested in Portugal yesterday.