© HBVL / Archive / Getty
Tongeren –
Limburg’s largest drug investigation, Costa, will start on March 10 next year and will last until the end of the month. The Tongeren court announced this on Thursday.
No less than 1 billion euros, that is how much the largest drug case ever in Limburg would be worth. The Costa case started with a shipment of tropical wood and ended with 57 suspects, divided over four different criminal networks. At least 27 tons of coke were shipped with connections in South America, Russia and Australia. Among the key figures are many Limburg leaders such as Lucio Aquino and Bandido Geert Frisson. Furthermore, the research also includes a whole range of unknown, but certainly important characters from the underworld.
The other main suspects in the case are Dutchman ‘Bolle’ Jos Leijdekkers, who is on the Most Wanted list, and another fugitive: Kempen resident Tom Bastiaanse from Kasterlee. The man recently cut his ankle bracelet and has been traced ever since. Over the years, he worked his way up as a big fish in the Belgian cocaine world and was able to buy and trade coke silently for a long time.
Also some Limburg leaders in the file, such as Lucio Aquino and Bandido Geert Frisson.
After months of surveillance, tapping telephones and a series of house searches, investigators identified the organizations’ network. That provides a lot of useful material, but the file is also full of information that was extracted from the SKY ECC and EncroChat hack. Those involved communicated openly with their secure crypto phones. These are simple smartphones equipped with encryption software. But the software was cracked by police IT specialists, after which they received a flood of messages and telephone calls.
The file: 51 big fardes. — © rr
Monsterproces, monsterstraffen?
Only in a year’s time will the dozens of defendants have to answer for the facts. The court in Tongeren has circled March 10, 2025 as the starting day for the substantive hearing. The closing date is scheduled for March 31, 2025. Because there are so many defendants involved, they will move to the assize hall for two weeks. For Limburg, it is the largest drug case they have had to deal with to this day. A monster process, bundled in 51 thick fardes.
The main suspects also risk record sentences, both in terms of confiscation and prison time, but the question is how many of the imposed prison sentences will actually remain. Some have been in custody for a long time with an ankle bracelet. They count down the days from their home.
(PPN)