Only nine of the defendants were acquitted, while the others were sentenced to a total of over 700 years in prison.
The leader of the extensive drug network, Algerian Abdelwahab Guerni, received the harshest sentence of 17 years in prison.
Among those convicted are Belgians, Albanians, Colombians and North Africans who, according to the verdict, have cooperated in smuggling large quantities of cocaine and cannabis to Europe.
Cocaine laboratories
The Albanian Eridan Munoz Guerrero was found guilty of operating several cocaine laboratories in Belgium and was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He laid all his cards on the table during the trial, which was conducted under heavy police presence at NATO’s old headquarters in Brussels.
– I played, and I lost, Munoz Guerrero said in court.
The investigation and subsequent trial have revealed the central role Belgium plays as a gateway and distribution center for drugs from South America and Morocco.
Transparency in communications
The breakthrough in the case came when the police succeeded in gaining access to the encrypted messaging services that the members of the drug network used to communicate.
The network had branches to several other countries, and the police in Germany and Italy contributed to the roll-out.
Several of the convicted are considering appealing, but must first spend time reading through the extensive judgment, which is over 1,000 pages long.
#convicted #extensive #drug #case #Belgium
