Belgian authorities announced on Sunday that all six people suspected in the death of the 41-year-old police officer had been arrested. Two were apprehended in Belgium, one at a railway station in Paris and three in southern Spain, reportedly as they were preparing to flee to Morocco. Five of the six had been in the stolen car on the night of the fatal incident.

(Staff: Belgium, France & Spain / Justice & Crime)

The death of Belgian police officer Nordine El Talbi earlier this week has entered a new judicial phase. After several days of investigation and international cooperation involving three countries, Brussels prosecutor Julien Moinil announced on Sunday, 18 October, that six suspects had been detained. El Talbi, 41 and the father of two, was shot in the head during an intervention in Jette on the night of 12–13 October.

All six suspects are Belgian citizens from the Brussels region: five adults and one minor. According to reports, they were already known to the authorities in connection with drug-trafficking offences. Three were arrested outside Belgium within days of the shooting.

Arrests in three countries

Two suspects were arrested in Belgium. A third was apprehended at a railway station in Paris. In Almería, southern Spain, authorities arrested three more. Prosecutor Moinil said they were believed to be planning to travel to Morocco.

Belgium has requested the handover of the suspects arrested in France and Spain. Investigators are carrying out DNA and ballistic examinations to determine who fired the fatal shot and what role each suspect allegedly played.

What happened on the night of the shooting

The chain of events began in Tubize, where a car was reportedly stolen by force. Police tracked the vehicle to Jette, in Brussels. El Talbi, a member of the anti-aggression unit, was off duty uniform-wise and wearing civilian clothes that night. As he approached the vehicle to check the situation, he was shot in the head. His injuries proved fatal.

Investigators reportedly found drugs and three firearms in the stolen car. Five of the six suspects were said to have been in the vehicle when the shooting occurred. Their individual roles and the identity of the shooter remain matters for the investigation.

A final tribute to a colleague

While the investigation continued, more than a thousand police officers gathered in Brussels on Friday to pay tribute to El Talbi. The ceremony was also a moment of reflection on armed violence in the Belgian capital, where conflicts linked to drug trafficking have raised serious public-safety concerns.

El Talbi’s death has left his family and colleagues grieving. The arrests mark an important development in the case, but the judicial process must establish the responsibility of each suspect.

Conclusion

The six arrests in Belgium, France and Spain reflect cross-border cooperation in a serious criminal investigation. However, arrest does not establish guilt. Investigators must determine who fired the shot and what each suspect’s role was. For El Talbi’s family, the legal process is only beginning; for Brussels, the case again highlights the challenge of tackling illegal firearms and drug-related violence.