A man caught with 13 kilogrammes of ketamine in his luggage at Brussels Airport was sentenced to 36 months in prison by a Brussels court on Thursday.
The man was preparing to fly to Hong Kong in late January when he was arrested. Customs officials searched his suitcase and found not only clothes but also several boxes of cereal, which later tested positive for ketamine crystals.
“The man had just arrived from the Netherlands, where he likely acquired the drugs,”prosecutors said. “The intention was clearly to smuggle them to Hong Kong, where one gram of ketamine sells for $40 to $50.”
However, the defence argued for his acquittal. “My client admits he intended to smuggle these boxes to Hong Kong for a substantial sum of money that was promised,” defence attorney Meester Siffert explained. “He was told he would be transporting gold and jewellery, not drugs.”
“There is nothing in the case file proving he knew he was carrying drugs,” the lawyer added. “No drug-related messages were found on his phone, only a photo of his suitcase showing the cereal boxes. The contents inside were not visible.”
Despite the defence’s efforts, the court sentenced the man to a three-year prison term.
