Authorities in France and Belgium have dismantled a major firearm trafficking network operating between the two countries. The operation, coordinated between French and Belgian authorities, culminated in a large-scale judicial action on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, leading to the arrest of nine individuals 20 Minutes. During the raids, law enforcement seized 178 firearms across all categories (A, B, C, and D)—including war weapons and those requiring simple declaration—along with 370 kilograms of ammunition 20 Minutes. [1]
Of the nine people detained, eight are French citizens and one is a Belgian national who was apprehended by the Federal Judicial Police of Namur 20 Minutes. On Friday, November 13, 2026, the eight French suspects appeared before the investigating judge at the judicial court of Charleville-Mézières. Consequently, four were placed in pretrial detention and four were placed under judicial supervision 20 Minutes. The Belgian national is expected to be presented to the justice system at a later date 20 Minutes. [1]
The investigation began in late 2025 following reports of suspicious activity involving an individual who regularly used firearms in the Ardennes region of France. This led to a preliminary inquiry conducted by the Reims research section and the Sedan research brigade 20 Minutes. After establishing links to Belgium, a formal judicial investigation was opened in April 2026 against unidentified persons for the acquisition, possession, transport, and transfer of war weapons or munitions (categories A and B), money laundering, and criminal conspiracy 20 Minutes. [1]
Colonel Christian Robert, commander of the Reims research section, stated that complementary investigations are ongoing to establish the exact origin and traceability of the seized weaponry 20 Minutes. Public Prosecutor Magali Josse of Charleville-Mézières confirmed that the operation was the result of extensive investigative work conducted by the departmental gendarmerie of the Ardennes and the Reims research section L'Ardennais. [1]
Additional details from the investigation reveal that the authorities also seized a vehicle belonging to one of the targets during the operations L'Ardennais. [3]
The scale of the seizures highlights the diversity of the arsenal involved, spanning from regulated sporting weapons to prohibited military-grade equipment 20 Minutes. [2]
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- 20 Minutes Ardennes : Une filière de trafic d’armes à feu entre la Belgique et la France démantelée, huit personnes mises en examen
- 20 Minutes Ardennes : Une filière de trafic d’armes à feu entre la Belgique et la France démantelée, huit personnes mises en examen
- lardennais.fr Un trafic d’armes démantelé entre les Ardennes et la Belgique : 178 armes ont été saisies
