A 27-year-old man from Ostend has been sentenced by the Bruges Criminal Court to two years in prison for cannabis trafficking, after he turned himself in to police.
On 6 February 2024, the Ostend police received an unusual call from Dimi V, who admitted to dealing cannabis and having issues with his suppliers. He told the police he had been pressured by his drug suppliers.
A subsequent house search uncovered nearly a kilogram of cannabis, 21 ecstasy pills, and €560. Investigation of his mobile phone revealed that he had been dealing since November 2020, and he had confessed to his judicial assistant that he had been involved in drug dealing for 13 years.
The public prosecutor noted that Dimi V had been released by the court under conditions which he failed to comply with. His probation conditions for previous drug offences had also been revoked.
Thus, the prosecution initially sought a 30-month prison sentence and a fine of €92,000.
The defence argued that Dimi V had been selling cannabis again for the past year due to his drug addiction and financial problems, citing his criminal record as having made it difficult for him to find work.
Lawyer Charlotte Pintelon stated that her client only dealt within his circle of friends to finance his own use.
He ended up in debt to his Dutch suppliers, who were putting pressure him. She noted that Dimi V made the right decision by turning himself in and genuinely wanted to leave the drug environment. The defence requested a community service sentence instead.
The judge ultimately sentenced Dimi V to two years in prison. He was also fined €8,000 and required to forfeit €25,000.
