FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Albanian Flamur Sinanaj, known for years in the world of drug trafficking in Belgium, has been released from prison after the approval of a preliminary plea agreement.
The agreement, considered one of the most important ever reached in a major drug trial in Belgium, was approved on Friday.
According to foreign media, Flamur Sinanaj pleaded guilty to the charges attributed to him and agreed to a sentence of five years in prison, of which two years are effective, as well as the payment of 1.5 million euros in favor of the Belgian state.
Shortly after the agreement was approved, he was released from prison, having already served two years in detention in Turkey and Belgium.
His lawyer, Johan Van Genechten, confirmed the agreement was reached, but did not provide further details regarding the negotiations with the federal prosecutor's office.
According to Belgian authorities, Flamur Sinanaj played a key role in the criminal organization of trafficker Flor Bressers. Known by the nickname “Maradona,” he is suspected of leading teams of so-called “diggers,” which extracted cocaine shipments hidden in containers of manganese ore. He was also responsible for collecting large sums of money circulating within the network.
Documents seized during the investigation show that Flamur Sinanaj has collected around 17 million euros in payments in Belgium and the Netherlands.
This is not the first time he has faced justice. In 2010, he was sentenced to eight years in prison and a 27,500 euro fine as the head of a criminal organization that smuggled tens of kilograms of cocaine from South America to Europe via couriers.
In early 2025, Flamur Sinanaj was extradited from Turkey, where he had been hiding with Sani Al Murdaa. Both had obtained Turkish citizenship and had long believed themselves to be immune from the authorities. However, in 2024, Turkish authorities revoked their citizenship and arrested Flamur Sinanaj, who was subsequently transferred to Belgium.
After returning to Belgium, he authorized his lawyer to negotiate with the federal prosecutor's office, a process that ended with the agreement approved by the court.
Meanwhile, the Bressers trial will continue in September for the other defendants, while the case against Flamur Sinanaj is considered closed following the agreement reached with Belgian justice.
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