Three thieves targeting high-end spirits have been sentenced to between 18 and 20 months in prison by the Hasselt Criminal Court. Each thief was also fined €800 for their exploits that took place across Flanders.
In a specialist spirits shop in Heusden-Zolder, Limburg, the trio were caught stealing two bottles of exceptional whisky worth a total sum of €8500. They stand accused of eight thefts from beverage retailers across the region. The crimes took place during the first half of 2023 in locations at Borgloon, Herent, Dilbeek, Wijnegem, Louvain, and Boortmeerbeek.
One of the thieves, aged 57, served as the group’s driver while his accomplices – a father aged 61 and his 34-year-old son – pilfered the expensive beverages. Both the father and son are currently held in preventive detention.
The investigators uncovered pictures of bottles on the driver’s mobile phone which he had advertised for sale at dramatically lower prices. One member of the three-man team could not provide a plausible explanation for a deposit of €2750 appearing in his account. A transfer of €1940 to Georgia, where the three men are from origninally, also raised suspicion.
The prosecution stated that the defendants crisscrossed the country stealing luxury whiskies, champagnes, and vodkas from stores, which were immediately resold through WhatsApp. The victims of the thefts received a little over €10,000 euros in compensation.
