Prosecutors Highlight Extensive Smuggling Operation
Flor Bressers, a Belgian national, has appeared in Brussels to face charges over his alleged role as the head of a major cocaine trafficking network. Authorities claim he earned around €230m from ten shipments, while Brazilian co-defendant Sérgio Roberto de Carvalho is said to have pocketed nearly €200m. Investigators assert that the 30 defendants together accumulated roughly €500m from the operation.
Rotterdam Seizure at Center of Investigation
The case originated following a 2020 interception in Rotterdam, where customs officers discovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine concealed inside manganese ore. Officials argue that this seizure exposed a broader trafficking network responsible for moving large volumes of drugs into Europe. The trial, initially scheduled for Bruges, was relocated to the secure Justitia complex in Brussels due to safety concerns.
Defendants Apprehended Across Europe
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 accused are a Dutch lawyer and a former London banker, both alleged to have facilitated money laundering. Defence teams are expected to challenge both the prosecution’s profit estimates and claims that their clients played leadership roles in the organisation.
