The Nivelles Criminal Court has sentenced Klaudio F., a 29-year-old from Brussels, to 40 months in prison and a €16,000 fine for importing cocaine from Costa Rica hidden in barrels of jam.
His accomplice, 26-year-old Samir L. from Molenbeek, received a three-year sentence and the same fine, in addition to a previous two-year sentence handed down in Brussels.
Customs officers intercepted 380 kilos of jam at Brussels Airport on 27 September 2024. Hidden inside the barrels were 17 kilos of cocaine. The shipment was allowed to continue to its destination, a brewery in Wavre, where police organised a sting operation and arrested those collecting the delivery three days later.
Klaudio F., the brewery manager, claimed he had ordered the jam from Costa Rica, unaware of the drugs concealed inside. However, the court ruled his explanation was not credible, citing his use of encrypted messaging and evidence that he agreed to bring the cocaine into Belgium for payment.
Samir L., who had rented a car and accommodation in Wavre ahead of the delivery, denied involvement, insisting his presence was coincidental. The court found otherwise, identifying him as an intermediary in the smuggling scheme. His immediate arrest was ordered following the verdict.
