Belgian justice minister under protection over kidnap plot

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s justice minister remains under police protection after four people suspected of taking part in an alleged plot to kidnap him were arrested in the Netherlands over the weekend. Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said he is “safe and in good hands.” The federal prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press on Monday that an automatic weapon and a bottle of gasoline had been found in a vehicle in the city of Kortrijk, where Van Quickenborne is the mayor. With thousands of containers on ships reaching Antwerp every day, the port city is one of Europe’s main entry spots for cocaine. Belgium has become a major hub for trafficking drugs into Europe.