Jürgen Conings now also sought after internationally, Hoge Kempen National Park open again: this is the latest state of affairs

The possible right-wing extremist Conings has been missing since Monday and has stated in a letter that he is targeting virologists and ‘the regime’. He collected heavy weapons from the barracks of Leopoldsburg and left with the northern sun. The public prosecutor’s office assumes he is still alive and carries heavy weapons. Four rocket launchers have previously been found in his abandoned car.

Conings is now also sought internationally. His name and two photos are on the website of the international police organization Interpol. The 46-year-old Conings is on the list of ‘wanted persons’. “Threatening a terror attack against individuals and the regime,” the accusations told him.

What is the latest state of affairs?

The fugitive soldier Jürgen Conings has still not been found. The federal prosecutor reports that the search in the Hoge Kempen National Park was completed yesterday evening. The park is reopened to the public. At the request of the investigating judge, ten house searches were carried out last night and this morning, including in the entourage of the fugitive soldier.

Former military Tomas Boutens, who was sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 for his membership of Blood, Soil, Honor and Trouw, was also searched. He writes that himself on Facebook. “They looked for J. as if he were in my closet. Not so. No search warrant received, no list of seized goods, no illegal objects found, ”he said. “Pure repression and pure harassment.”

The federal prosecutor’s office confirms that there was a search of the house of Jürgen Conings, but it did not comment on the contents. The other house searches took place on people who have helped him or are still helping him to hide in the past days.

Armed units also raided this morning at 6 am on a farm in Peer. Jan Boogaerts, who rents part of the farm with his association, talks about an impressive display of power. “The farm owners woke up with guns and lasers pointed at them. They estimate that there were thirty to forty soldiers, including some with German and Dutch insignia. ” In the end, Conings was not found on the property, and nothing was taken.

In the meantime, the federal police have set up an extra barricade at the Hoge Kempen National Park in the direction of De Salamander in Maasmechelen. These are Frisian horsemen who were drawn up as a result of a manifestation by supporters of the fugitive military. The Facebook group ‘Als 1 behind Jürgen’ announced yesterday that it would organize a march to support Conings. “Hotheads are not welcome, this out of respect for the family of Jürgen, who will also be present, and for fellow sympathizers who will be present with children or dogs,” the page reads.

About 150 participants showed up for the march this afternoon. They travel through the residential area near De Salamander, from where the search for the armed military has been coordinated in recent days. The participants carry a sign with ‘No license to kill’ and ‘Als 1 behind Jürgen’. Children also participate in the march. The protesters sound a lot of sympathy for the extremist military, and accuse so-called “lying media” and “corrupt politicians”.

According to Het Belang van Limburg, the decorations of Jürgen Conings were found on the family grave of his parents on Tuesday. They were probably put there on Tuesday, when Conings left his car and was already on the run. Laying down the decorations is a worrying signal, because according to defense experts, it means that you turn your back on Defense and no longer believe in things.

The army top condemns the support that soldiers express to their fugitive colleague. There is and will never be a place for extremist behavior within Defense, says Admiral Michel Hofman, chief of Defense, in a message to his staff. Major General Marc Thys, number two in the Belgian army, condemns the support that soldiers express to their fugitive colleague. “Nothing, absolutely nothing can condone his actions,” says Thys. “This behavior has no place in our organization and our society.”

Conings’s girlfriend put in last night VTM NEWS a call to her partner to surrender. “Make the story end, that it ends.” In the blurred call that lasted barely 21 seconds, Gwendy spoke directly to her friend. “Jurgen, if you’re still alive, don’t make victims. Make the story end, stop it. For me, for my family. You decide how, but make sure it stops. ”

How far is the research?

“The judicial investigation shows that the man has prepared all this,” said Minister of Justice Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open Vld) yesterday. “He’s been preparing for his action for days, and it turns out that he was effectively close to a target on Monday night, staying there for more than two hours,” he said. Several reliable sources confirm to VTM Nieuws that Jürgen Conings was seen that evening at the house of virologist Marc Van Ranst.

Conings lingered near Van Ranst for two hours, then turned around. Various sources confirmed this to VTM Nieuws. Jürgen Conings was reported missing by his girlfriend on Monday evening when she had not returned from work. Van Ranst has been staying in a safe house with his family since Tuesday, because the heavily armed soldier has made threats to the virologist in a farewell letter.

“Nothing is left to chance, and all intentions are examined. The necessary investigations and follow-up are being carried out so that we can bring this situation to a safe end for everyone, ”said Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden (CD&V). In the interest of the investigation, the minister was unable to answer the question whether more people will be protected.

The federal prosecutor’s office has sued an investigating judge specializing in terrorism for “attempted murder in a terrorist context and illegal possession of weapons in a terrorist context”.

Investigation into Conings’ car, which was found Tuesday in the forest in Dilsen-Stokkem, revealed a “suspicious mechanism,” the prosecution said. “We are still waiting for the technical report from the DOVO service on its possible elaboration,” he said. “The car was booby-tramped, with war ammunition on board, with the intention of making victims,” said Van Quickenborne. “This is indeed a very dangerous man.”

Earlier, the hunter who found the car testified about a hand grenade that would have been attached to the vehicle with wires and could explode if the doors were opened. However, that message was contradicted by the federal prosecutor’s office.

The federal police have asked local residents away from the location of the car about camera images from the past few days. Anyone who has images of surveillance cameras aimed at the street is asked in a letter to send them to the police.

Sweeping

The sweeping started on Thursday afternoon after a display of power by the police and the army, which were numerous. About 400 Belgian troops were deployed, 150 of which from Defense and 250 from the police. The various police services and army units searched a perimeter of no less than 20 kilometers in circumference. Meter per meter. Foreign troops were also massively present in Limburg, in addition to Belgian units of DOVO and special forces.

The Hoge Kempen is a vast park where someone could easily spend days without meeting anyone.

Who is Jürgen Conings?

The suspect Jürgen Conings (46) is a professional soldier from Dilsen-Stokkem who is active in the barracks of Leopoldsburg and earlier in that of Peutie. He was already on the radar of OCAD as a far right, in the category “potentially violent extremist”. The military intelligence service ADIV would also have been aware of his sympathies. Conings also received a disciplinary sentence from the defense for his right-wing extremist ideology. Read his portrait here.

The professional soldier’s curriculum vitae shows that he is a sniper with years of combat experience in a war zone. He was there on missions in Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. The man is a welder by training and also works in the army repair department. As a member of the pre-deployment training cell in Leopoldsburg, he prepares soldiers for a foreign assignment. In that capacity, he also had access to the ammunition depot.

Why is it dangerous?

The security services raised the alarm on Tuesday. Two suicide letters had been found from Conings. One was addressed to his wife and child and one to the outside world. That last farewell letter insinuates that he will join the resistance and may not survive. “A script has been found in which he indicates that he will not be arrested alive,” says a judicial source. That letter would also state that he is targeting politicians and virologists.

“It is feared that he wants to carry out a violent action, against himself or against other persons, but the correct possible targets are still unclear,” said public prosecutor Eric Van Duyse on Tuesday.

Conings had recently made threats against several people, including Marc Van Ranst. The KU Leuven virologist and his family were therefore transferred to a secret location for security reasons, with heavy surveillance. Van Ranst’s house was also guarded.

A source at Defense sums it up: “He’s one of those people you don’t want to be an enemy.” Such a profile is a nightmare for security services.

What weapons does Conings have with him?

Conings is suspected of carrying a gun, a bulletproof vest and a P90 submachine gun from FN. Although it is a light semi-automatic weapon, it can pierce bulletproof vests. Those weapons and ammunition were stolen from a barracks of Defense. A number of those weapons were still in the soldier’s car, which was found in a forest in Dilsen-Stokkem. Four anti-tank missile launchers were also found in the car. Investigators, however, assume that the fugitive man is still armed.