Four years prison for human smuggling via Zeebrugge port

A 44-year-old Ukrainian man has been sentenced to four years in prison, with one year suspended, for his role in human smuggling through the port of Zeebrugge.

The Bruges court handed down the sentence after the man was caught transporting five Albanian migrants to Belgium. The public prosecutor had sought a full four-year prison term.

The operation on November 5, 2025, involved Belgian federal judicial police, special units, and maritime police, alongside Britain's South West Regional Organised Crime Unit. In the cargo area of a truck, they discovered five Albanian men aged between 25 and 39. The Ukrainian man was identified as the transporter.

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He has even dropped them off at a frituur to eat something.

Further investigation revealed the man had been active within the criminal organization for at least two years. The prosecution highlighted that he had previously been caught in Northern France in 2021 for similar offenses. Prosecutors argued he minimized his actions by claiming to be a taxi driver and requested a four-year prison sentence and a 120,000 euro fine.

The defense successfully argued that the accused did not endanger the victims' lives, noting he even dropped them off at a snack bar for food. They also emphasized his minor role within the gang and requested a suspended sentence, excluding the time already spent in custody. The man expressed a desire to return to his family in Poland quickly and stated, "I do not want to be a criminal in the future." The judge ultimately imposed a 40,000 euro fine and the four-year sentence, with one year suspended. Additionally, 5,000 euros and 700 British pounds were confiscated.

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I do not want to be a criminal in the future.