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CBSNov 23, 2022
Belgium: Over 100 Convicted in Drug Gang Crackdown
Above: Belgian Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt speaks during a hybrid press conference of Europol to present a report on the most threatening criminal networks in the European Union, in Brussels on April 5, 2024. Image copyright: Hatim Kaghat/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
119 people were sentenced by a Belgian court to between 14 months and 17 years in prison following a "massive drug trafficking trial in Brussels," according to the federal police.
In what's become the country's largest-ever drug bust, the defendants from Belgium, Albania, Colombia, and North African nations were found guilty of trafficking cocaine and cannabis, often through the use of encrypted messaging apps.
The Spin
Narrative A
These convictions are a breath of fresh air for Europe, a continent that has seen its safest cities destroyed by drug gangs for years. Besides flooding European streets with dangerous drugs, some of these gangs have committed murder —targeting witnesses, journalists, and lawyers. Governments must continue their crackdown on gangs and implement stricter drug policies to end this transnational organized crime wave.
Narrative B
While no one wants drug dealers and murderers to go free, the means with which European authorities are combatting these crimes risk violating human rights. With crime fighting as their trojan horse, governments will likely broaden their scope to include spying on political speech. The EU has gone as far as to propose a "Chat Control" law, which would allow them to spy on other apps like Signal and WhatsApp. Safety should not come at the cost of freedom of speech.