Prosecutors Outline Massive Network
A high-security trial opened in Brussels on Monday for Flor Bressers, a Belgian man accused of leading one of Europe’s largest cocaine-smuggling operations. Prosecutors allege Bressers earned around €230m from ten shipments, while a second alleged ringleader, Sérgio Roberto de Carvalho, is said to have made €200m. In total, authorities claim the 30 defendants on trial profited by about €500m from the drug trade.
Case Sparked by Rotterdam Seizure
The investigation began in 2020 after Dutch authorities seized 3.2 tonnes of cocaine concealed in manganese ore at the port of Rotterdam. Belgian and international investigators later linked the shipment to a wider trafficking network accused of moving drugs into Europe on a massive scale. The scale of the case led to its relocation from Bruges to Brussels, with proceedings held at the fortified Justitia complex, a former NATO site.
Key Defendants Arrested Abroad
Bressers was arrested in Zurich in February 2022 and extradited to Belgium later that year, while De Carvalho was detained in Hungary in 2023. Among the other defendants are a Dutch lawyer and a former London banker, whom prosecutors say played roles in the laundering of criminal profits. Defence lawyers are expected to challenge the prosecution’s estimates and portray their clients as victims of exaggerated accusations.
