Courier from drug gang risks thirty months in prison for money laundering: “He threatened the police with death” (Middelkerke)

A 34-year-old Briton faces thirty months’ effective prison sentence in the Bruges court for money laundering and death threats. According to the court, Simon H. worked as a courier for an international drug gang. He was exposed in Middelkerke.

On November 8 last year, the police pulled over Simon H.’s car in Middelkerke. According to the public prosecutor’s office, the Briton drove around like a brute in his Spanish rental car. “He did not have a driver’s license and the car should have been returned to the rental company a long time ago,” prosecutor Peter Vercauteren explained. “The police found 17,690 euros in cash in the car, neatly divided into packages of 1,000 euros.”

During his arrest, H. threatened the police with death several times. He said he was in Belgium as a tourist and therefore had a lot of savings. “But an examination of his phone showed that he was a key figure in an international drug gang,” the prosecutor continued. “In addition to drugs, he also transported money. Two days before the interception, he had received a message with the order to hand over 17,000 euros. His phone also contained photos of firearms and boxes of cannabis.”

Because the investigation yielded insufficient evidence for drug violations, H. was not prosecuted for it. However, he strongly denied that he was transporting money for a gang. “He only admits to the threats,” lawyer Nadia Lorenzetti pleaded. “My client has been struggling with psychological problems since he became the victim of a stab. However, he had not taken his medication at the time of his arrest. Because of this he was not himself.”

The verdict will be announced on April 24.