Zillebeke (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Marc Martain from Zillebeke received a 4-month prison term from the Court of Appeal, which was suspended. The crimes of illegal tobacco trade led to his suspension alongside those of his deceased father, Joel.
The Zillebeke farmer Marc Martain received a 4-month prison term with suspension coupled with a 200,000 euro fine when the Court of Appeal judged him for engaging in unlawful tobacco dealing.
The court instructed Marc Martain to repay taxes valued at 900,000 euros following his work together with his deceased father, Joël. The public became aware of the case when a television show in the 1990s featured Martain and his deceased father.
Marc Martain, along with his father Joël, received a sentence from the Bruges court of first instance since they operated an illegal tobacco business without reporting excise duties. The tobacco operation spanned 7 tons of tobacco products that were sold to farmers in the Westhoek region.
Medical staff discovered the illegal business practices during an investigation performed by FPS Finance. The Ghent Appellate Court confirmed the initial ruling by issuing a prison sentence that would become effective only if Marc Martain failed to follow his court-imposed obligations and exposed him to fines reaching 5 million euros.
How did the Martain family’s story begin?
The Martain family drew public attention in the 1990s through a documentary made by Paul Jambers about their distinct lifestyle and how both Marc and his father Joël had obtained Filipino wives.
The people of Zillebeke, Flanders, recognised “Jambers farmers” as the local characters for their unique way of life. The years showed them cultivating illegal tobacco while bypassing excise taxes and marketing their unlicensed tobacco to about 7 tons of Westhoek farmers.
The operation stayed hidden until the FPS Finance investigation discovered it, which led to their legal conviction. Recent court outcomes reveal the persistent nature of an established illegal tobacco trade problem that authorities have faced across the region for many decades.
