Flakka Makers Sentenced to 40 Months in Antwerp Court
The Antwerp Criminal Court on Friday sentenced four defendants to prison terms of up to 40 months for producing and selling flakka, the dangerous synthetic drug known as the “zombie drug.” The two ringleaders, who reportedly compared themselves to the main characters from the television series Breaking Bad, also face confiscation of €40,000 each and fines of up to €20,000, according to Het Laatste Nieuws.
The Investigation
The case began on 1 May 2025, when police conducted a traffic stop in Kalmthout. The driver, identified as Ann V.d.G., abandoned her vehicle and hid in nearby bushes. Inside the car, officers discovered a bottle carrying the scent of flakka, measuring cups, gloves, a gas mask, and containers of chemical substances, as VRT NWS reported.
A subsequent search of Ann V.d.G.’s home uncovered additional laboratory equipment and flakka. Police found her ex-boyfriend, Dylan V.d.B., at the residence. Both identified Michael B. from Schoten as their supplier, leading investigators to a terraced house on Paalstraat in Schoten, where a “kitchen lab” was discovered.
A Mobile Operation
The investigation revealed that Michael B. and Tom A. were operating a sophisticated production network with cooking locations across multiple cities, including Ostend, Sint-Truiden, and the Ardennes. They sold flakka nationwide at €8,000 per kilogram, according to HLN. Text messages recovered from their phones showed that they compared themselves to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the central characters from Breaking Bad — a television series about a chemistry teacher who turns to methamphetamine production.
Prosecutor Kristof Aerts told VRT NWS that while the kitchen lab was smaller than typical synthetic drug operations, it was no less dangerous. “The production is smaller-scale and requires fewer raw materials,” Aerts said. “But that does not make it any less dangerous or serious. Drug production always involves chemicals, so it is always dangerous.”
The Sentences
The court imposed the following sentences:
- Michael B. and Tom A. (lead producers and sellers): 40 months imprisonment, €40,000 confiscation each, and fines up to €20,000
- Dylan V.d.B.: 15 months imprisonment with probation, conditional on addressing his drug problem
- A Dutch national who assisted in cooking flakka: 2 years imprisonment with probation
- Ann V.d.G.: Case separated pending psychiatric evaluation
The Growing Flakka Crisis
Flakka, chemically known as alpha-PVP, is a synthetic cathinone — part of a class of drugs often called “bath salts.” It is significantly more potent than ecstasy or cocaine and can cause severe hallucinations, paranoia, violent behavior, and a zombie-like state of reduced consciousness. Toxicologist Jan Tytgat of KU Leuven previously warned that users have been known to jump from balconies without hesitation while under its influence, as VRT NWS reported.
The drug first emerged in Belgium around mid-2022 in Roeselare, West Flanders, spread by “psychonauts” experimenting with designer drugs purchased online. It has since expanded to Diksmuide, Ypres, Kortrijk, and now Antwerp.
Customs seizures tell a stark story of the drug’s proliferation. According to the Belga News Agency, Belgian customs confiscated only 16 grams of flakka in 2022. By August 2024, that figure had surged to 1,844 grams — a 115-fold increase. An additional 1,737 grams of the related drug Monkey Dust were also seized in 2024, all found in postal packages bound for the United Kingdom.
Broader Implications
This case is part of a wider crackdown on flakka across Belgium. In January 2024, the West Flanders prosecutor’s office reported a significant increase in flakka cases and began taking a tougher stance, with dealers receiving effective prison sentences of up to 38 months. The Belgian government has also invested in forensic capabilities, opening a new drug expertise centre at the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) in Brussels in April 2024, designed to create “drug fingerprints” to track the origins and distribution networks of designer drugs.
The 40-month sentences for the ringleaders in this case are substantial, though not the maximum possible under Belgian law. The court’s decision to include probationary conditions for lower-level participants, requiring them to address their own drug problems, reflects a rehabilitative approach alongside punishment.
What to Watch For
The separated case of Ann V.d.G., pending psychiatric evaluation, will determine whether mental health issues played a role in her involvement. Meanwhile, the question remains how many other flakka production labs — particularly the hard-to-detect “kitchen lab” variety — remain undiscovered across Belgium.
Flakka pictured during the opening of a forensic drug expertise centre by the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology in Brussels, April 2024. Credit: Belga Photo / Eric Lalmand