The Bruges Criminal Court has sentenced a 45-year-old Turkish man and three Iraqi nationals to prison terms of between 11 and 13 years for human smuggling, as well as fines between €400,000 and €600,000, for supplying rubber boats and other nautical equipment to human smugglers for many years.
Since the end of 2019, vehicles full of boats, outboard motors and life jackets have been regularly discovered in West Flanders. Many accomplices of human smuggling gangs were caught, especially on the west coast.
The vehicles were usually found to be travelling from Germany to northern France. Based on approximately 40 different judicial investigations, the West Flemish federal judicial police (FGP) was gradually able to map out a large human smuggling gang.
The ringleader of the gang was arrested in London in May 2022, a Kurdish man identified as Hewa R. In January 2025, he was eventually sentenced to 13 years in prison by the Ghent Court of Appeal. The leaders who pulled the strings in Germany were sentenced to six to 12 years in prison.
'Boats to transport refugees'
Thanks to telephone investigations, Adem S. (45) subsequently came to the attention of the investigators. From his boat business in Istanbul, the defendant allegedly supplied rubber boats, life jackets, outboard motors and other nautical equipment to the smuggling organisation.
The Public Prosecutor pointed to the many conversations he had with Hewa R. and his accomplices about this. However, the photos of boats and other nautical equipment also spoke volumes: for example, a payment receipt via hawala banking for more than $100,000 was found.
In December 2021, Hewa R. even sent him an article about a fatal crossing with 27 victims. While R.'s arrest made international headlines, the defendants continued to supply nautical equipment to the gang.
The defendant was finally arrested at Schiphol Airport on 13 November 2024, after he had travelled to the Netherlands for a boat fair. An examination of his mobile phone revealed that Adem S. was active in several chat groups about nautical equipment.
"He literally tells a Chinese manufacturer that he is looking for large boats to transport refugees," said prosecutor Jinmin Arnou.
Illustration image. Credit: Belga/AFP
The defendant also made it clear that the quality of the boats and outboard motors was of secondary importance, and boasted that he supplied 1,000 outboard motors for the European refugee market. "He called himself the king of transport and export."
The Public Prosecution Service then pointed to contacts with corrupt Turkish police officers. Adem S. is said to have paid for their trips, among other things, although it is not clear what he received in return.
On 3 December, Adem S. and three co-defendants had to appear before the Bruges Criminal Court. Iraqi nationals Ahmet T. (46), Mohammed S. (50) and Fakhir R. (43) were also alleged to have supplied nautical equipment on a smaller scale. This was also confirmed by several convicted human smugglers. However, the Iraqis could never be arrested.
The Public Prosecution Service demanded 13 years in prison and a fine of €800,000 for them. Adem S. even faced the maximum prison sentence of 12 years and a fine of €1.2 million. The Public Prosecution Service also demanded the forfeiture of €1,770,000 in financial gains.
After all, the defendant himself stated that he made a monthly profit of €15,000. In Turkey, he not only owned a house, but also building land, agricultural land and several luxury cars.
'Sold too much'
The defence pleaded guilty but insisted on a much milder sentence. "The real smugglers have been punished more leniently," said barrister Kris Vincke. According to his solicitor, Adem S. is also being wrongfully prosecuted for the period from 2015 to 2021.
The Public Prosecution Service is said to be basing this solely on a message in which Adem S. stated that he "sold too much to refugees" in 2015. According to Vincke, his client has only been supplying the human smuggling gang since August 2021.
In 2005, Adem S. allegedly started a shop selling fishing equipment. In 2018, this allegedly evolved into a wholesale business in nautical equipment.
In this context, the defence emphasised that Adem S. also often supplied the tourism sector. According to his own statement, he would have earned a maximum of €100,000 from the deliveries to human smugglers.
Statue of Lady Justice. Credit: Belga
Finally, Vincke once again pointed to the more lenient sentences in the case against Hewa R. and his accomplices. Therefore, the defence proposed a five-year prison sentence, possibly with a partial suspension, stressing that Adem S. has no previous convictions and has already been in pre-trial detention for over a year.
According to Vincke, Mohammed S. was also considered by some of those involved to be the big boss. Adem S., on the other hand, described Fakhir R. as a competitor who supplied cheaper boats of inferior quality.
"I am in no way a member of the criminal organisation," Adem S. stated in his final words before the court. He emphasised that he was a hard-working businessman who happened to come into contact with the human smugglers.
He said that he initially thought they wanted to go fishing. "I was careless when I knew it was for human trafficking. I deeply regret it, but I never smuggled people myself," he said.
'The boss'
The judge ruled that the defendants could only be convicted for the period from August 2021 onwards. The prosecution was declared inadmissible for the earlier offences, as the investigation did not show that the defendants had been active in Belgium at that time.
Ultimately, Ahmet T. and Mohammed S. were sentenced to 13 years in prison each. Ahmet T. is alleged to have sent lorries with boats from Turkey to the Netherlands. Like Adem S., several of those involved identified him as "the boss."
Fakhir R. received a 12-year prison sentence for his role in the case. The three Iraqis were also sentenced to a fine of €600,000. Their immediate arrest was ordered. Adem S. was ultimately sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined €400,000. A financial gain of $100,000 was confiscated.
