A 26-year-old man from Bruges has been charged for cocaine trafficking, confirmed the Bruges division of the West Flanders Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Karam B.’s home was hit by an explosion in February 2024.
The suburb of Sint-Pieters in Bruges was woken up by the explosion at a front door on Blauwe Poort at around 3am on 28 February 2024.
The explosion damaged Karam B.’s house and a neighbouring property. No injuries were reported.
Following an investigation, West Flanders federal judicial police identified several suspects. Three young men from Brussels were arrested in early April 2024 by the investigating judge.
The incident is likely linked to the drug scene. At the time of the explosion, a judicial investigation was already underway into one of the residents of the building.
Karam B., known by the nickname ‘Gustavo Kerstman’, was directing other dealers. In August, he was sentenced to four years in prison in that case. B. is familiar to the justice system.
Previously, he has received severe prison sentences for crimes including a violent rip-deal, cocaine trafficking, and a home invasion.
Karam B. was arrested at the end of June and detained by the investigating judge. Initially, he denied involvement but later admitted his participation, though he claimed he had already stopped dealing drugs at the time of his arrest.
On Tuesday morning, the Bruges chamber referred Karam B. to the correctional court for cocaine trafficking. Besides the gang leader, four other defendants will face the criminal court.
The defence hoped for conditional release, but the chamber ruled that B. must remain in prison until his trial. His accomplices remain free.
