Mohamed Abrini Paris, Brussels attacks: ‘Man in the hat’ nabbed

Mohamed Abrini, the sole suspect still at large from this past year’s Paris assaults, Mohamed Abrini, was detained in Brussels, the Belgian public prosecutor affirmed on Friday.

He was found on the west side of Brussels, in Anderlecht, close to the Molenbeek district where a lot of the Paris bombers were based. Nevertheless, officials acknowledged they were attempting to verify if the guy was Abrini.

Abrini was seen at a petrol station at Ressons on footage in a Renault Clio, north of Paris two days prior to the strikes, with would be suicide bomber Salah Abdeslam, a boyhood pal.

Abrini has remained elusive until now while Abdeslam was detained in Brussels three weeks past. Abrini was on a European watchlist for nearly five months, and is described as “dangerous and likely equipped” on the arrest warrant.

The finding was the very first clear connection between the Brussels and Paris attackers.

Nevertheless, the authorities have already been careful about their findings two weeks ago, prosecutors were left red faced after they detained and after that released another defendant who had been believed to be the guy in the hat.