Drug trafficking trial in Matonge: 46 defendants, €6.2 million claimed
The Brussels criminal court is hearing 46 defendants for drug trafficking in the Matonge district. The majority contest the charges against them.
Matonge before the court: 46 defendants deny drug trafficking
Forty-six defendants are appearing before the Brussels criminal court for the sale of narcotics in the Matonge district, in Ixelles, according to RTBF Info. About ten of them are named as the presumed leaders of the criminal organisation. A 35-year-old suspect, represented by lawyer Guillaume Lys, is designated as the presumed head of the network.
Four men are facing additional charges for possession or carrying of prohibited weapons, namely an electroshock weapon and pepper tear-gas canisters.
The Brussels public prosecutor's office is seeking the confiscation by equivalent of €6.2 million, representing the minimum illicit patrimonial advantage that the 46 defendants are believed to have derived from their activities. The Matonge district had been described by the public prosecutor's office as "particularly affected by drug trafficking" during the 25 searches carried out on 3 November 2025, in Belgium and notably in this Ixelles district.
The case initially involved 59 accused persons when it came before the Brussels investigation chamber on 24 June. After a series of dismissals, 46 defendants were committed for trial. Nine hearings are scheduled to deal with this substantial case.
Most defendants contest the charges
The court hearing commenced on Tuesday at approximately 11:00, two hours behind schedule due to problems with the transport of detainees. The first four defendants heard all contested the charges against them.
The first stated that he frequents Matonge "as any member of the Congolese community" and is merely a cannabis consumer. A second, confronted with the discovery at his home of "a precision scale with traces of cannabis", replied that he possessed "a scale at home, like everyone else". The court president responded: "I don't have a precision scale, just a kitchen scale. And it doesn't have traces of narcotics on it."
A third defendant, questioned about the presence of a Kalashnikov bullet at his home, claimed he had brought it back from a shooting range in Switzerland "as a souvenir".
Only one defendant acknowledges a role
Only one defendant admitted to having played a specific role in the distribution chain. An excerpt from a Snapchat conversation attests to her role as an intermediary between a holder of narcotics and a seller.
The judge described this first day as a "warm-up round", the objective of which was to establish whether the defendants frequent Matonge, consume drugs and know each other among the accused. The hearings continue in the coming weeks.
Source: RTBF Info