Seizure in Rotterdam Launched the Case
Court proceedings have begun in Brussels against Belgian national Flor Bressers, who prosecutors say directed a sophisticated cocaine smuggling ring. The inquiry was initiated after Dutch authorities intercepted 3.2 tonnes of cocaine in 2020, hidden inside a shipment of manganese ore at the port of Rotterdam. Investigators argue that this discovery pointed to a larger network moving drugs through European entry points.
Authorities Cite Enormous Criminal Revenue
Prosecutors allege that Bressers profited by around €230m from ten drug consignments, while Brazilian suspect Sérgio Roberto de Carvalho earned close to €200m. With 30 people in the dock, officials claim the operation as a whole generated roughly €500m. The trial, initially planned in Bruges, was shifted to the secure Justitia complex in Brussels due to heightened security concerns.
International Arrests and Defendants
Bressers was detained in Zurich in February 2022 and extradited to Belgium later that year. De Carvalho was arrested in Hungary in 2023. The roster of defendants also includes a Dutch lawyer and a former London banker, both accused of laundering the organisation’s earnings. Defence lawyers are expected to reject the financial assessments presented by prosecutors and contest allegations of their clients’ leadership roles.
