The Brussels Correctional Court on Tuesday sentenced a 53-year-old Dutchman caught with 1.8 kilogrammes of cocaine in his stomach to 36 months in prison.
The man landed at Brussels Airport on 11 November on a flight from Latin America. After he failed a urine test for cocaine, administered by customs officers, a CT scan revealed 112 packets of the illegal drug, totalling 1.8 kilogrammes, in his stomach.
The prosecution said the man claimed he was in debt by €15,000 and had been promised €6,000 to carry out the drug transport. Prosecutors added that he had taken the same trip in August 2024, suggesting this might not have been his first offence, and thus demanded a 36-month prison sentence.
The defence argued that their client, who had run a solo security business for 24 years, had been forced to cease operations due to the pandemic. He lost his income and accumulated €15,000 in rent arrears. With no other options, he accepted the cocaine-transport offer out of desperation.
The defence requested a suspended sentence, highlighting the fact that the accused is now undergoing debt mediation and is determined to find other work.
The court, however, found no grounds to grant a suspended sentence and imposed the 36-month prison term.
