A man in Harelbeke, Belgium, has been sentenced to 75 hours of community service after being caught driving under the influence of drugs on two separate occasions within three days, culminating in a police chase on a fatbike. The 18-year-old, identified only as A.B., tested positive for both cocaine and cannabis during traffic stops, according to a ruling delivered by the Kortrijk court on February 12, 2026.
The initial incident occurred on August 23 of last year, when A.B. Attempted to evade police during a traffic control while riding a fatbike. The pursuit ended when officers located him at his home. Beyond the positive drug test, authorities reported that A.B. Exhibited aggressive behavior towards the responding officers. Just three days later, he was again stopped by police and again tested positive for cocaine and cannabis.
Following his arrest, A.B. Reportedly sold the fatbike and purchased a scooter. This decision proved short-lived, as the scooter was later confiscated after he became linked to compact-scale drug trafficking. He has since reverted to using a standard bicycle for transportation.
The court imposed a 45-day driving ban alongside the community service order. A.B. Has been declared unfit to drive, meaning he cannot reapply for a driver’s license until he can demonstrate six months of continuous sobriety, verified through drug testing.
The case echoes a separate incident in The Hague, Netherlands, where a 21-year-old man was fatally shot during a robbery attempt involving a kilo of cocaine on April 18, 2025. Reports indicate the suspect in that shooting fled to Somalia, and a fatbike was reportedly prepared for use as an escape vehicle. While the two cases are distinct, they both involve young men, drug use, and attempts to evade law enforcement.
Elsewhere, Italian authorities recently apprehended an 18-year-old Dutch national in Ardea, near Rome, attempting to dispose of hard drugs down a sink. The individual was found in an apartment equipped as a drug distribution center, alongside a 28-year-old Italian accomplice. A YouTube video also surfaced documenting a police encounter with a young man found in possession of cocaine, though the location and details of that incident remain unconfirmed.
