LAHORE: Immigration officials on Friday arrested a Belgian national on terror charges at Lahore Airport while he was trying to board a plane for Islamabad. Micha Ballen is wanted by Belgium for involvement in several crimes and is believed to be a terrorist. He came here from London on February 7 by a Gulf Air flight and was staying at a seminary near the city. Ballen is originally from Rwanda but is also a Belgian national, a security official told Daily Times. The Belgian embraced Islam a few years back after establishing links with a religious outfit in Pakistan, he said. “Intelligence agencies intercepted his e-mails which showed that he is connected to militant outfits and wanted to join in their activities.”
Both the Belgian and Pakistani governments were chasing Ballen and had distributed his sketches among security officials at the countryÂ’s airports. He was scheduled to go to Islamabad on Friday evening and praying in a mosque at Lahore Airport when an immigration officer recognised him and informed the Airport Security Force.