Men receive lighter sentences on appeal for Sint-Gillis kidnapping

Three men involved in a 2024 kidnapping in Sint-Gillis, linked to the drug trade, have seen their prison sentences reduced on appeal. The abduction was reportedly a reprisal for a rip deal where the victim allegedly stole 5 kilograms of cocaine.

The incident occurred on the night of May 14-15, 2024. A witness alerted police after seeing a man being forced into a car following a fight. Police identified the car's owner as a man from Mechelen. That same night, Antwerp's shipping police received a tip from Germany about a possible hostage situation, with demands for ransom and threats made against the victim using a blowtorch, as shown in a video.

The victim was eventually released. A search at the Mechelen man's home uncovered a blowtorch matching the one in the video. Further phone analysis implicated the man's younger brother and a third suspect in the kidnapping. The investigation revealed the victim was abducted as revenge for stealing the cocaine.

During the initial trial, all three suspects denied involvement, but the court did not believe their accounts. The man from Mechelen was sentenced to 6 years, while his brother and the third defendant received 4 years each. The appeal saw these sentences reduced: the Mechelen man now faces 5 years with a suspended sentence, and his brother and the third suspect received 3 years and 30 months, respectively, also with suspended sentences.