An investigator from the anti-drugs squad of the Federal Judicial Police (PJF) in Antwerp received a suspended sentence of ten months’ imprisonment and a fine of €16,000 on Tuesday.
The Antwerp Criminal Court found that the man had carried out unauthorised searches of databases and had also been guilty of breaching professional confidentiality and voyeurism.
As a police officer, the defendant had access to various databases, but each search must be duly justified.
Between 2019 and 2023, the man carried out no fewer than 94,000 searches – far more than his colleagues – using the vague term ‘investigation’ or the names of other cases unrelated to the persons being sought.
In addition to these illegal searches, the defendant also passed on information to third parties relating to ongoing criminal investigations and/or matters connected with drug trafficking in Antwerp, which the court deemed to constitute a breach of professional confidentiality.
Finally, the investigator was also found guilty of voyeurism. A folder containing nude photographs of a female suspect in a drugs case was found on his laptop.
These photographs were obtained from an analysis of her mobile phone. According to the defendant, this was a joke in poor taste between colleagues.
