The Tongeren correctional court has sentenced a couple who had a cannabis plantation in their rental home in Maaseik to 12 and 18 months in jail and a fine of €8,000 each.
The husband was caught when he tried to avoid a traffic check on 20 January 2020, by turning his Mercedes around and driving away. He was intercepted and police officers found four incriminating cardboard boxes in his trunk.
These contained 283 cannabis cuttings, several bags of potting soil, €910 in cash and a receipt from a garden center in Geleen that showed that he had also bought several bags of potting soil and other items that day.
On the same day, a search was conducted in the rented home the man shared with his wife in Maaseik. In a shed in the driveway, police found an active cannabis plantation with 175 plants.
Modest income, luxurious lifestyle
At the rear of the residence, more than 10 cans of plant food, 20 used flowerpots and a bag containing a small amount of partially dried marijuana clippings were found in a large shed.
The law enforcers also found that electricity had been illegally tapped.
The woman claimed to be unaware of her husband’s 'green thumb, but the judge did not believe her since the couple shared the rental property and messages were found from her regarding the sale of cannabis.
However, unlike her husband, she was acquitted of electricity theft.
The couple had maintained a luxurious lifestyle despite their modest income.
According to the prosecutor’s office, cannabis had been harvested and sold five or six times before. Both the couple's Mercedes and the money found in it were confiscated.
