A 35-year-old man appeared before the Brussels Criminal Court on Wednesday, accused of selling cannabis in Rue Heyvaert, a known drug hotspot in Molenbeek, and is facing a 16-month prison sentence.
The man was stopped by a police patrol in the street on 22 October and found carrying 40 grams of cannabis.
Prosecutors said the drugs were divided into 11 small packets, indicating they were intended for sale.
Police also found 20 similar packets containing a further 69 grams of cannabis under a parked car nearby.
According to the prosecution, the defendant admitted he was there to sell drugs. He said he had been acting on someone else’s instructions and would be paid €80 for a day’s work.
The prosecution added that the man had remained in contact with the person who sent him until shortly before his arrest.
Officers also found a video on his mobile phone, recorded earlier that day, showing another patrol with a sniffer dog discovering 17 packets of cannabis hidden under a scooter.
Prosecutors said the man could be heard swearing in the video as police uncovered the drugs.
While the prosecution requested a 16-month prison term, the defence asked the court to suspend part of the sentence.
His lawyer argued that the defendant had already spent nine months in pre-trial detention. He also said the drugs found under the car and the scooter did not belong to his client.
The lawyer further argued that it would have been more surprising if police had found nothing else in Rue Heyvaert, which he described as one of the most notorious streets in Brussels.
The court is due to deliver its judgment on 31 July.
