An ex-teacher (47) in Ixelles risks two years in prison with probation delay for dealing crystal meth using the gay dating app Grindr.
During the summer of 2018, the police got wind of the fact that the man had been involved in dealing drugs from an apartment on the Rue du Marché au Charbon, in the middle of Brussels' gay district, for several months.
"I have been dealing for several months now. Sometimes about 30 to 40 customers a day pass by, earning me around €400 a day," he said after the police caught him, reports Bruzz. "I sell to finance my own use," he added.
"Crystal meth is an extremely dangerous drug that is on the rise, especially in gay environments. Through Grindr, he was able to recruit customers and earn a substantial amount of extra money," said public prosecutor, reports Het Laatste Nieuws.
The dating app is being increasingly used for the sale of illicit drugs among gay and bisexual men, according to a report made by NBC News. Users feature the capital letter T on their profiles, referring to meth's street name Tina, or use the diamond emoji to indicate that they are selling.
The prosecutor's office demanded a two-year jail sentence with probation postponement. "The accused has gone through a very positive evolution. He is clean, and on the right track. An effective jail sentence could thwart this, and that would be a shame," the prosecutor added. The man's lawyer is working towards a fully suspended sentence.
The verdict will be delivered on Tuesday.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times
