In a case of illegal arms trafficking, the Bruges Criminal Court has declared much of the prosecution’s case inadmissible.
The court found hundreds of prohibited and regulated firearms in the homes of weapon collectors but deemed it unclear what specific charges the defendants faced. However, two defendants were fined for minor violations.
In 2018, the West Flanders Federal Judicial Police received information suggesting that P.S. (58) from Zedelgem, J.H. (65) from Roeselare, and M.N. (54) from Evergem were involved in international arms trafficking. These suspects were also named in cases in Antwerp and Ghent, further investigations revealed they were trading in firearms.
On 12 March and 27 June 2019, police conducted eleven house searches, seizing 480 prohibited or regulated firearms, including machine guns, semi-automatic weapons, revolvers, pistols and bolt-action rifles.
At J.H.’s home, more than 200 weapons were found, and 30 kilograms of ammunition were discovered at P.M.’s (65) residence. Prosecutors noted that neutralised weapons had been made operational again.
During the trial, the prosecutors acknowledged there was no evidence of a criminal organisation but argued there was a severe lack of regulation among weapon collectors and military members. They sought fines ranging from €6,000 to €24,000 for six defendants, with the main figures facing asset forfeitures of €16,000 to €30,000.
The defence argued for the case’s inadmissibility due to unclear charges and excessive delays. They suggested a simple guilty verdict or suspension instead, highlighting the defendants’ passion for weapons and First and Second World War memorabilia.
The judge ruled the prosecution largely inadmissible, as the case file did not clearly specify the charges. Requests for written clarification were ignored.
Two defendants were convicted for safety violations and possession of operational automatic weapons. P.S. was fined €8,000, with €800 payable immediately, and J.H. was fined €20,000, with €2,000 payable immediately. The sentences took into account the excessively slow investigation process.
