New action against illegal bakeries in Merksem: ten people without legal residence found, manager is traced (Merksem)

The dossier follows an earlier investigation into clandestine bakeries in Merksem. In November last year, the Antwerp police found three illegal bakeries located in hidden places behind terraced houses during house searches. Several employees fled when the police arrived. Ultimately, twelve people present could be captured. They all resided in our country illegally and were employed without any employment contract.

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At one of the locations there were even indications that the workers spent the night on site. “In dire circumstances, on dirty mattresses or even on a pile of cardboard. “There were also a lot of vermin walking around in the same room where the men slept and the bread was baked,” the police spokesperson said.

The employees found were made available to the Immigration Office. The workshops were administratively closed by the mayor of Antwerp and the 40-year-old manager, Hassane A. from Mortsel, was arrested.

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Illegal bakery restarted

Further investigation into economic exploitation and social fraud was entrusted to the human trafficking/social fraud team of the Federal Judicial Police (FGP) Antwerp in collaboration with the RSZ inspectorate. “This investigation suggested that the then manager, who has been released under conditions since the beginning of March, had restarted the bakery activities at another location in Merksem,” says Kristof Aerts, spokesperson for the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office.

The investigating judge ordered seven searches in Merksem, Mortsel and Wilrijk on Friday, in which FGP Antwerp, PZ Antwerp and the National Social Security Office worked closely together. “Illegal activities were again detected in a workshop on the Bredabaan in Merksem and the employees found appeared to be staying in the country illegally. Some of them had returned to work despite the order to leave the territory in November.”

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“A number of people who appeared to be in our country illegally were also found above the workshop and in two apartments, the rent of which was apparently paid by the suspected manager of the bakery. Ten people were handed over to the Immigration Department,” says Aerts.

Hassane A., the suspected manager of the bakery, could not yet be found. A 26-year-old co-suspect was arrested and arrested by the investigating judge on Friday. A van used to deliver loaves of bread, 10,000 euros in cash, mobile phones and documents were seized at the various locations.