DR ‹ › Six branches of the halal supermarket chain Tanger Markt, owned by a Moroccan family based in the Netherlands, were sealed in Antwerp and Brussels following a large-scale police inspection on Tuesday evening. The operation targeted all of the chain's Belgian branches and is part of an employment investigation, according to Valentina Marocchi, spokesperson for the Brussels Labor Auditor's Office. «The inspection is part of an investigation into employment», she said, citing indications that night work regulations were not being respected and that illegal employment might be taking place. During the joint operation involving local police, the federal judicial police, and the social inspectorate, authorities found 16 people working illegally across the establishments, local media reported. «Four employees fled before they could be checked», Marocchi added. Approximately €20,000 in cash was also seized, and its origin could not immediately be determined. On Wednesday morning, customers found three of the chain's stores in Antwerp and three Brussels locations closed, with notices stating: «Due to circumstances, our store, your supermarket, is temporarily closed. We are doing our best to reopen as soon as possible». Founded in Amsterdam in 2010 by Ahmed Barghaoul as a family chicken wholesaler, Tanger Markt expanded into supermarkets in 2013, offering products from over 100 countries and earning the nickname «Moroccan Carrefour» in the Netherlands. In addition to the Netherlands and Belgium, the chain also operates in France under the name Tanger Marché.
