Higher sentences for Martien R. family at court
November 9, 2023

In the appeal in the case against the family of Martien R., higher sentences were handed down on Thursday than in the first instance. Martien R.'s own sentence was upheld.

Punishment
Martien R. was sentenced by the court to 16 years in prison in the Brabant case in 2021. The court upheld that sentence on appeal. Also before the court, Martien R. is the 'undisputed leader of a criminal organization, with a strong family character, aimed at the large-scale trade in drugs and weapons'. He is again sentenced to 16 years in prison. The highest possible punishment for this type of crime.

Heavier
The other suspects received heavier sentences in almost all cases. For example, son Anton R. and son-in-law Bart H. were sentenced to 10 years in prison, where the court imposed an additional 8 years.

Arnold M., who is seen by the judiciary as the leader's closest aide, disappears behind bars for 12 years. The court handed him a sentence of 10 years.

Toon R., Martien's cousin who managed to stay out of the hands of justice the longest, was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in accordance with the requirement.

Underground
During a large-scale raid in November 2019, 115 kilos of weed, 54 kilos of amphetamine (speed), 280,000 ecstasy pills, 180 kilos of MDMA crystals and 3.7 kilos of crystal meth were found in underground spaces behind the family's camp. The group is also said to be responsible for two large cocaine transports of 1,561 and 315 kilos respectively to the port of Antwerp.

During the case, the police confronted the suspects with wiretapped conversations and camera images. Microphones and small cameras had been installed in the shed, which the family considered safe territory. Eavesdropping equipment was also hidden in Martien R.'s car.

Martien R. previously stopped his defense in court because he felt that the judges did not want to investigate important facts in the case.