Dealers caught at Tomorrowland festival

During the first weekend of the Tomorrowland festival, 24 drug dealers were caught, three of whom were detained. The remaining 21 were summoned to a session organised by the Antwerp court for the autumn. The dealers are primarily Dutch, but also include Italians, Americans, British and one Belgian, De Standaard reports.

Three were detained because of the large quantity they were found in possession of. The Dutch actor Imanuelle Grives is among them; she claimed she was carrying the drugs in preparation for a TV role. The three have since been released and Grives is due to appear before magistrates on Friday.

The electronic music festival, in Boom, Antwerp province, attracts about 80,000 people across two days from around the world. It has a strict zero-tolerance policy on drug use, meaning those in possession of drugs for their own use will also be fined and ejected from the event: 231 people were punished in this way at the weekend.

In addition, 48 people were ejected for entering the festival without a ticket, and eight pickpockets were arrested. The numbers of those arrested for various offences is in line with figures from previous years. Last year, across the two weekends of the event, 63 drug dealers were caught, two of whom were detained by police. The others were ordered to leave the festival premises and appeared later in court.

A 27-year-old man from India died after becoming unwell at the festival, the organisers confirmed this week. Investigators believe the cause of death is drug-related but further tests are being carried out.

The festival continues this weekend.

Photo: Belga/David Pintens