Drug trafficking and Kalashnikov at Marchienne-au-Pont: prosecutor seeks up to 8 years
Four defendants are appearing on appeal in Brussels for drug and weapons trafficking. The network was storing hundreds of kilograms of cannabis in Charleroi.
Kalashnikov in a cellar, hundreds of kilograms of drugs: four defendants on appeal
According to DHnet, the Attorney General of Brussels sought sentences ranging from 2 to 8 years of custodial imprisonment against four defendants at a hearing on Friday, 29 May 2026. The charges concern drug and weapons trafficking, with the central hub based in a warehouse at Marchienne-au-Pont.
The investigation began in spring 2023 after an anonymous tip was sent to the judicial police in Charleroi. An individual was reported to be practising shooting a Kalashnikov in his cellar. Arrested along with three associates, he set in motion proceedings that would rapidly expand.
At the home of one of the suspects, investigators seized one kilogram of cannabis, 300 grammes of pure cocaine and ketamine. Partial admissions, combined with in-depth telephone investigations, made it possible to identify other network members active in Brussels.
The main stockpile—hundreds of kilograms of cannabis and several kilograms of cocaine, packaged in parcels ready for sale—was concentrated in Charleroi, supplied by three gang members from the Charleroi area. The bulk of the trafficking took place in the capital. In total, nine people were remanded in custody; roughly a dozen street dealers were not prosecuted.
Before the Brussels correctional tribunal, the nine defendants had been sentenced to between 2 and 7 years of custodial imprisonment. In the court of appeal, only four of them are appearing. Some no longer dispute the facts but are seeking a reduction in sentence, whilst at least one of them continues to refute all of the accusations. The Attorney General, citing the extreme gravity of the offences, maintains his requests and seeks up to 8 years of custodial imprisonment.
Source: DHnet