Hasselt (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Hasselt court postponed a major drug trial after key wiretap recordings were replaced with cartoons. Investigation (since 2016) involves an international drug network, a Dutch criminal, Belgium-Netherlands operations, and chemical waste.
As VRT News reported, this morning, Sep 5, 2025, the Hasselt court faced a major disruption during the opening hearing of a high-profile drug trial. The case concerns international drug trafficking, the production of amphetamines and ecstasy, large-scale cannabis cultivation, and the illegal dumping of chemical waste.
Court officials discovered that key wiretap recordings in the case file had been replaced with cartoons. The discovery confused the courtroom. The Hasselt court and the federal prosecutor’s office are working urgently to recover the original recordings.
What happened to the Hasselt drug trial wiretaps replaced with cartoons?
Due to the lack of evidence during the trial, the trial has been adjourned. It will now continue on October 17, 2025. Legal experts agree that the wiretap recordings are key to demonstrating the practices of the purported criminal network
The drug investigation began in 2016 after the Federal Food Agency reported unusual chemical orders from a soap company in Lommel. Authorities found that the chemicals were being used to produce synthetic drugs such as amphetamines and ecstasy. The investigation quickly expanded, leading to raids in the Belgian towns of Ham and Hamont-Achel.
The investigation also revealed operations in the Netherlands. Warehouses were discovered in Zeeland, Nispen, Waspik, and Uden, where chemicals were stored to produce speed and ecstasy, and to process cocaine. Police discovered a smuggling ring.
Cocaine and cannabis were moved into Malta through cars with concealed compartments. One of the main figures in the case is a notorious drug criminal from the Netherlands, who is connected to both the chemical trade and the global smuggling business.
