An Antwerp court sentenced three Dutch nationals to prison on Monday for their involvement in a series of drug-related attacks across the city.
Ayman A. (25) received a seven-year prison sentence and an €8,000 fine. Grevynio G. (21) was sentenced to five years in prison and fined €8,000. Having been previously convicted for similar crimes, Gyorno L. (22) received an additional three-year prison sentence and a €4,000 fine.
The attacks, often executed by individuals from the Netherlands, occurred in Antwerp in the summer of 2022. The attackers were directed by third parties using platforms like Snapchat and Signal. Further investigation led to the identification of the three suspects.
Fourteen attackers had prior contact with the accounts of Ayman A., 25, who coordinated operations and provided personnel, drivers, weapons, and explosives. He maintained contact with jailed perpetrators, referred to as “soldiers,” and was linked to attempted attacks on Sint-Rochusstraat - on 6 July 2022 - and an attack on Tweemontstraat, Deurne, on 4 March 2024.
Gyorno L., 22, had screenshots of addresses, attack videos, and images of firearms and drugs on his phones. He was involved in several incidents, including shooting at a house in Zegepraalstraat on 5 July 2022, an attempted attack on Sint-Rochusstraat on 6 July 2022, an attack on Stenenbrug, Deurne, on 8 July 2022, two attacks on Deken De Winterstraat - on 17 July 2022 and 3 August 2022 - and an attack on Van Lissumstraat, Deurne, on 9 August 2022.
Grevynio G., 21, used his Snapchat account, ‘black cobra,’ to direct the execution of an attempted attack on Deken De Winterstraat on 25 August 2022, sending the address to the perpetrators. His fingerprints were found in a vehicle intercepted by the police.
“The defendants facilitated severe violence and actively participated in planning and executing attacks with firearms, fireworks, or explosives on inhabited properties, disregarding the danger and fear they caused,” the court noted, deeming the actions extremely serious.
