Belgian prosecutors seek five‑year prison terms for Albanian cocaine trafficking ring

Belgian prosecutors have asked a court to impose up to five years in prison on two Albanian suspects, Elvis T. and Shoshi S., accused of heading a cocaine distribution network that operated across Europe. The investigation, launched after a seizure at the port of Antwerp and a police raid in Wilrijk, focused on a property in Essen, Belgium that served as a “stashplaats.” Search teams found 14 sports bags with packaging residue, three vehicles equipped with hidden compartments for money‑counting, munitions, a notebook containing drug‑related accounts, large amounts of cash and a phone wrapped in aluminium foil. The group is alleged to have moved hundreds of kilograms of cocaine to France and Italy using the concealed vehicle compartments. Prosecutors originally sought seven‑year sentences, heavy fines and the confiscation of hundreds of thousands of euros, but have reduced the request to five years. The defendants deny involvement, claiming they only visited the house to feed chickens. One defense lawyer said, “The fact that my client drove a vehicle where drugs were later found does not mean he was involved.”