Five-year sentences recommended for Dutch men behind online drug sales linked to deaths

The Belgian Public Prosecution Service on Wednesday recommended five-year prison sentences on appeal for the owners of the website Funcaps, accused of trading illegal medicines. Previously, the court in Mechelen had handed Jord van W.,31, and Stefan P.,30, 120 hours of community service each, and fined their company 80,000 euros. Both the prosecution and the defendants have lodged appeals.

The prosecution argues that the two men were responsible for the large-scale import of designer drugs, which “had a devastating effect on users’ lives,” according to the prosecutor.

Alongside the prison term, a 5,000-euro fine was recommended. The prosecution also wants the court to consider the 2021 death of a 44-year-old man, who died from an overdose of Funcaps designer drugs, calling it an aggravating factor. “The imports played a role in the victim’s death,” the prosecutor said.

The suspects’ company from Valkenburg and Ulestraten began selling in Belgium during the COVID-19 period. The prosecutor stated that the two were poorly informed about Belgian law, lacked sufficient understanding of the products they were selling, and passed the health risks onto their customers. “It was a gamble,” the prosecutor added.

Both defendants claimed they never intended to commit a crime. “Had we known all this, we wouldn’t have done it,: Van W. said. They added that they were taken aback by the prosecutor’s sentencing recommendation.

The defendants’ lawyer requested that the court uphold the same sentence as the original trial, arguing that they deserve a second chance. “These young men do not belong in prison,” the lawyer said. “They made a mistake, and they will never repeat it.” The defense added that the company has since been fully dismantled.

In the Netherlands, the pair are additionally under suspicion for illegally trading medicines and designer drugs. Authorities are probing 58 deaths that could be connected to substances sold via their website.

The next introductory hearing in the Dutch criminal case is set for April 20 at the Zwolle court.

The Antwerp court is set to announce its ruling on April 1.