A 45-year-old man was sentenced to twenty months in prison by the Brussels Correctional Court on Thursday for committing five thefts at Brussels Airport in recent months.
The man was arrested on 2 October after a traveller reported his backpack stolen while he was sleeping in the airport’s departure hall.
Airport police promptly reviewed security camera footage, identified the thief, and apprehended him with the stolen items. Further investigation linked the suspect to four additional thefts at the airport over previous weeks.
On 20 June and 15 September, he stole backpacks containing laptops. On 18 September, he stole a wallet and used a bank card from it to buy a train ticket to Brussels and a waffle. On 23 September, he stole a bag containing a watch and cosmetics.
The prosecution noted that he was also known for thefts at airports in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany.
The defence requested a suspended sentence. "He came to Belgium from Spain seeking work and a better life, but soon after his arrival, his wallet and mobile phone were stolen," the defence claimed. "He then turned to theft out of desperation and acknowledges his wrongdoing."
The court rejected the request for leniency and imposed a twenty-month prison sentence.
