Antwerp Court Tries Former Prison Escapee for Cocaine Trafficking and Weapons Charges

Accused of cocaine trafficking, Mohammed J. and his brother Othman appeared Thursday before the Antwerp court. The facts date back to 2021 and were revealed thanks to the Sky ECC case. At the bar, Mohammed J. confessed, acknowledging that he had sold cocaine for a gang for a short period of time in order to pay off his debt. "I still had a debt of 15,000 euros. If I helped sell the blocks, my debt would be cleared," he explains.

The prosecution requested four years in prison against Mohammed J. and seven years against his brother Othman, the presumed leader of the criminal network. The latter denied any involvement in this drug trafficking. "He was not the user of the Sky-pin mentioned by the public prosecutor. This emerges from the investigation, but the investigators are hiding crucial information from the court. My client has nothing to do with this case and must be acquitted," declared his lawyer, Sam Vlaminck.

The two brothers, as well as two other co-defendants, will be informed of their fate on October 18.