If he had not been arrested, Salah Abdeslam - the prime suspect in the Paris terrorist attacks - could have continued to plot a new attack in Belgium.

This is shocking information announced by Belgian authorities at a press conference on March 20 after questioning this man.

Speaking in Brussels, Belgium on March 20, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said: "Salah Abdeslam confessed that he intended to go to the Stade de France stadium, one of the targets of the series of attacks in France, as a terrorist bomber, but he stopped. We do not know why he decided to do so.

Abdeslam (in white shirt) was arrested by Belgian police. Photo AP

The next information we got from this subject was that he was ready to launch an attack in Belgium. We found a lot of weapons as well as discovered many new communication networks established by Salah Abdeslam during the investigation."

According to Mr. Reynders, about 30 people are currently confirmed to be involved in the terrorist attack in Paris, while many others are suspected of being involved. The Belgian Foreign Minister called on intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies and European border protection forces to work closely to track down those involved.

Previously, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) also warned European countries to strengthen border controls, paying special attention to cases of stolen or forged passports, to prevent other members of Salah Abdeslam's network from trying to escape when he was arrested.

Salah Abdeslam, who was born in Belgium but holds dual French and Moroccan citizenship, was arrested on March 18 when police conducted a raid outside the apartment where he was hiding in Molenbeek, Belgium.

The suspect was wounded in the leg when he tried to run towards security forces during the siege, forcing police to open fire. Police are investigating the incident as suggesting that Salah Abdeslam may have committed suicide.

The suspect is currently being held in a prison in the city of Bruges, northwestern Belgium, and is facing charges of “participation in terrorist murders”.

French prosecutors are seeking to extradite Salah Abdeslam to France for trial, but his lawyer said he would do everything he could to fight the extradition order. If the extradition process is carried out, Salah Abdeslam will have little chance of appealing./.

According to VOV