A court in Leuven has found ten men guilty of involvement in 46 thefts and attempted thefts, focusing mainly on bicycles and electric scooters stolen from apartment garages, with six receiving prison sentences ranging from 10 months to 4 years.
The defendants’ involvement emerged following multiple thefts in Leuven on the night of 31 August 2023. Police caught four defendants red-handed as they were loading stolen bicycles into a rented vehicle. Two were immediately apprehended while two others managed to escape but were later identified.
One of the identified suspects was linked to 42 theft incidents across the country through CCTV footage. He committed these crimes with a shifting group of accomplices, leading to the identification of six additional defendants.
The group targeted expensive (electric) bicycles and scooters, selling them at low prices in the Brussels area to unknown buyers. During the court session, most of the defendants present did not contest the charges.
The Leuven court has convicted the ten defendants for 46 theft-related incidents. Of these, 21 occurred in Flemish Brabant locations such as Leuven, Herent, Halle, and Tienen. The rest occurred in various locations including Aalter, Ghent, Antwerp, Geraardsbergen, Mechelen, Temse, Ninove, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Erpe-Mere, Tubeke, and Wetteren. Many incidents involved forced entry, and the court noted that the defendants were part of a criminal organisation.
