Brussels Attacks: Police Confirm Arrest Of ‘Man In The Hat’

Belgian prosecutors have confirmed that the man arrested on Friday in connection in with the Paris and Brussels attacks is the ‘man in the hat’.

Mohamed Abrini told investigators that he was at the scene of the 22nd March suicide bombings at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station, which left 32 people dead.

Abrini was also wanted in connection with the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people back in November.

He was just one of six men arrested in Brussels on Friday, with four of them being charged with terror offences.

Officials believe that those who carried out both the Brussels and Paris attacks are part of the same network, which is backed by ISIS.

Abrini, a 31-year-old Belgian, confessed to being the ‘man in the hat’ after being confronted with the evidence, the federal prosecutor said.

The statement added: “He said that he threw away his jacket in a rubbish bin and sold his hat after the attack.”

His fingerprints and DNA were also found in two ‘safe houses’ in Brussels as well as a car used during the Paris attacks.

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This apparent confirmation could prove to be a huge development for Belgian authorities, whose response to terrorism has come under scrutiny.

The other suspects charged on Saturday have all been accused of ‘participating in terrorist acts’ linked to the Brussels bombings.

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Belgian authorities have since revealed that the group that attacked Brussels had initially planned to attack Paris a second time, but, ‘surprised by the speed of the progress in the ongoing investigation’, decided to rush an attack on their capital instead.

UNILAD