The Belgian authorities have faced intense criticism over their handling of the Brussels attacks and the investigation, especially as it has emerged that numerous suspects were known to the police.
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He is now officially suspected of participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted murder through terrorism.
“According to our information, Mohamed Abrini has explained the initial intention of this nebulous terrorist Franco-Belgian terrorist group was to go into action during the Euro football tournament”, Libération reported on Monday.
Mohamed Abrini, who was captured by police this week following his involvement in November’s Paris attacks and the bomb blasts in Brussels last month, is alleged to have told police about a threat to the sporting event. The result was the attacks on Zaventem Airport and the Maalbeek metro station in Brussel.
Investigators are now working on verifying Abrini’s statement.
They changed their plans, however, due to the speed of investigations following the Paris attacks, Associated Press reports.
A sixth suspect believed to have been involved in the Brussels attacks has been arrested during fresh raid in the Belgian capital.
The investigation has established connections between a large group of men – many of them childhood friends or brothers – who are suspected of playing roles in both the Paris and Brussels attacks.
Osama K. was filmed by security cameras in the City 2 shopping mall when the bags were bought that were used by the suicide bombers who attacked the airport.
Friday was three weeks to the day that authorities arrested in another Brussels neighborhood Salah Abdeslam, who had been on the run for four months.
Abrini was one of several people arrested Friday in raids in Belgium.
Abrini is the prime suspect of the Paris attacks and was recently confirmed to be the escort of the two suicide bombers in Belgium.
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His fingerprints and DNA were found in a Renault Clio used in the November attacks in Paris that killed 130 as well as inside an apartment in Brussels used by the airport bombers.
