Nineteen defendants are being tried at Liège’s criminal court over a cocaine and cannabis network that ran in the city for several years.[1] Investigators described the network as an Albanian criminal organisation whose leader, called Totila in court, was said to be a corpulent bald man of Albanian origin.[1] The organisation was allegedly run from a ground-floor restaurant, Le Bella Baro da Vito, at 10 rue Grétry in Liège.[2]

On 7 March 2025 Miri’s 12-year-old stepson called police, saying he had found drugs at his home in Chaudfontaine and was afraid.[1] At that house police found 4,193 kg of cannabis hidden in black bags in the cellar.[1] A March 2025 L’Avenir report on the same discovery said officers found 4 kg of cannabis and detained the boy’s parents.[3]

On 31 March 2025 police dismantled a cannabis plantation on the ground floor of the pizzeria, and a man called Marko was caught after trying to flee.[1] Investigators seized 715 cannabis plants there and estimated that the plantation had generated at least 80,000 euros, with an earlier harvest already taken.[1] On 22 April 2025, more than 80 officers carried out 16 search warrants issued by the investigating judge in the Liège area.[4]

At the trial, the defendants presented as the most involved denied the facts, with Totila telling the court that he had done nothing wrong and had only helped people.[1] Two further hearings were scheduled for the prosecution’s submissions and the defence pleadings, so no verdict has been given.[1]