A persistent drug dealer has been sentenced by the Mechelen criminal court to two years in prison and fined €8,000.
The man, who struggles with addiction himself, was previously monitored by the court’s drug intervention programme but brought several bottles of GHB to a hearing for an associate.
He had already been convicted 35 times, ten of which were at the criminal court, mostly for drug-related offences. Many of his convictions at the police court were also linked to drug use while driving.
Messages on Facebook Messenger revealed he had not ceased dealing drugs, prompting a police search of his home. The search uncovered 1.15 kilogrammes of speed, 150 grams of benzodiazepines, 0.7 litres of GHB, 0.6 grams of cocaine, cannabis, a precision scale, and packaging materials. A total of 23 litres of GBL, the main ingredient for making GHB, was found in the garden shed.
“The man admitted to using GHB every two hours daily, which is extremely problematic,” stated the prosecutor. “He also needs a joint or benzodiazepines each day to fall asleep. His phone indicated that he not only sold drugs but also often traded goods for drugs and manufactured synthetic drugs.”
A message from another individual, well-known to the authorities for drug offences, was also found. In it, the individual requested that the man bring some bottles of GHB to the hearing of the drug intervention programme, which aims to help individuals stop using drugs through intensive monitoring.
“When this became evident, he was removed from the intervention programme and imprisoned. His chances have run out, and further leniency is out of the question; therefore, I demand a two-year sentence and a €16,000 fine,” the prosecutor concluded.
The judge agreed with the prosecution’s demand and sentenced the man to two years in prison with an €8,000 fine.
