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Michael Freilich — © BELGA

Iran is said to have transported bombs and missiles intended for the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah via the port of Antwerp. This is stated in the British newspaper The Telegraph. The weapons would be used against Israel.

According to The Telegraph, Iran allegedly smuggled weapons through Iraq to Hezbollah so that the Lebanese group could use them against Israel. But the Israeli air force has bombarded those convoys, causing Iran to switch to arms deliveries via ships. According to an anonymous Israeli source quoted in the British newspaper, weapons and other goods would now be shipped via the port of Latakia in Syria to the ports of Ravenna in Italy, Valencia in Spain and to the port of Antwerp.

“It’s easy to camouflage that in major European ports, because things have to happen very quickly there. In smaller ports there is stricter supervision,” a senior Israeli source told the British newspaper.

The port of Antwerp says it has no jurisdiction in this case. “As a port, we do not determine which goods may and may not pass through. That is something for the federal and European level,” says Lennart Verstappen, spokesperson for the port of Antwerp-Bruges. “We also do not know which goods are in containers and other means of transport.”

MP Michael Freilich (N-VA) will ask a written question about the case next week to Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib (MR). “I want to know, among other things, whether she was informed about that development, whether our intelligence services were informed about it and what measures are planned against it,” says Freilich. The minister would address those questions next week. (cwil)

2024-03-15 18:51:38


#Iran #sends #weapons #Hezbollah #Antwerp #port

Gent –

Influencer Sarah Puttemans (24) is considering filing a complaint against the young people who misused her photos to scam men. Her lawyer Sven Mary confirms this. “This woman is at the beginning of a promising career, so this is very damaging for her.”

The trial against a teenage gang that entrapped hundreds of men started in the Ghent court on Thursday. They earned tens of thousands of euros by falsely presenting themselves as escorts, including by using photos of Sarah Puttemans (24), girlfriend of Viktor Verhulst.

READ ALSO. Group of girls pose online as escorts and earn tens of thousands of euros with fake profiles

According to lawyer Sven Mary, the well-known influencer had to learn the news through the media. “The news hit her hard,” says Mary, who was approached by Puttemans for legal advice. “Her photos have been misused and that makes her feel uncomfortable.”

Thirteen suspects are being prosecuted by the East Flemish public prosecutor’s office for fraud, theft within a criminal association. In addition to the girls who used false profiles to extort money from men, ‘money mules’ are also being prosecuted who allowed their bank account to be used.

Successful career

Puttemans himself is also considering legal action. “She is in the early stages of a successful career,” says Mary. “If you look up her name, she is linked to escort services. This must also be very unpleasant for her boyfriend Viktor.”

The case will be argued in the Ghent court on May 23. One of the victims in the file who lost more than 1,000 euros told his story in the newspaper on Thursday. “I may have known it was too good to be true, but somewhere you think, ‘You never know’.”

READ ALSO. Victim of teenage gang who posed as escorts online tells his story: “I was flattered by the attention”

The lawyer will examine what criminal qualifications can be placed on these facts and what steps will follow. “Maybe civilly or via a direct summons, but she is certainly not in a position to pay compensation. She would give that money away.”

2024-02-09 20:42:45


#Sarah #Puttemans #complaint #scammers #misuse #photos #damaging #career