Belgium – travel warning

There has been a series of robberies and express kidnappings on or around the E19 motorway connecting Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Dunkirk and the Channel Ports – particularly towards the southern end of the route.

Perpetrators of these incidents have been using threats of violence and carrying knives and/or firearms.  In the early hours they have been flagging down vehicles, seeming to seek assistance, or kidnapping single drivers outside petrol stations or 24-hour stores. The perpetrators have generally been gangs with Eastern European connections, sometimes using UK-registered vehicles. They have been robbing victims on the spot or taking their victims under force to the nearest ATM to extract as much cash as their cards will allow.