On December 3, Adem S. and three co-defendants had to appear before the Bruges criminal court. Ahmet T. (46), Mohammed S. (50) and Fakhir R. (43) are also said to have supplied nautical material, albeit on a smaller scale. However, the Iraqis could never be captured. The Public Prosecution Service demanded thirteen years in prison for them. S. even faced fifteen years in prison.
The defense pleaded guilty, but mainly insisted on a much milder punishment. According to master Kris Vincke, S. has only supplied the human smuggling gang since August 2021. “I deeply regret it, but I have never smuggled people myself,” the defendant said in his last word.