The Antwerp Criminal Court on Friday sentenced several port workers to prison terms and heavy fines for their involvement in cocaine trafficking. The various files had been brought to light by the investigators thanks to the exploitation of the messages exchanged on the Sky ECC network.
The court thus sentenced Dave D., 45, to 7 years in prison and a fine of 40,000 euros, and Terence VO, 48, to 7 years and a fine of 64,000 euros.
The investigation showed that the first received container numbers and was paid (from 2,000 to 20,000 euros per container) to check in the system when they were to arrive and leave, if they were selected to be checked, etc. It would thus have facilitated, from June 2020 to January 2021, the import of seven shipments of cocaine, five of which were intercepted by customs for a total of 3.3 tonnes. Financial research showed a big difference between his official income and his expenses.
Terence VO was also participating in chat groups on Sky ECC. It emerges from the discussions that he was situated higher than the first in the hierarchy. He received an estimated amount of 100,000 euros per shipment, his encrypted conversations evoking a total sum of 638,000 euros.
The court confiscated a total of 880,000 euros from these two men, including two cars, a wood and four vacation homes.
Other employees arrested
The same court also sentenced Stijn VH, 31, involved in the recovery of two shipments of cocaine and an attempt, to 7 years in prison (and a fine of 40,000 euros). Also a worker at the port, he seemed well paid to pick up the goods. Investigators discovered luxury goods at his home. The man had also invested in cryptocurrencies. Two people who had assisted him in his participation in the traffic received sentences of up to 4 years in prison and a fine of 20,000 euros.