One of Belgium's most sought-after international drug traffickers, Othman El Ballouti, has been apprehended in Dubai, according to a judicial source. The source added that Brussels will seek his extradition. El Ballouti is accused of orchestrating a significant drug smuggling operation in the Belgian port of Antwerp, which is one of Europe's primary drug entry points, and is also under US sanctions.
"We have secured his arrest, and now we will explore the possibility of extraditing him," the Belgian source informed AFP. Belgium and the UAE formalized an extradition agreement in 2021. "There are multiple cases for which Belgium is seeking his extradition," the source mentioned regarding El Ballouti, a prominent figure in Belgium's criminal underworld, whose 11-year-old niece was reportedly killed in a shooting in Antwerp last year.
In the previous year, El Ballouti was subjected to US Treasury sanctions for allegedly managing an "international criminal organization" and engaging in money laundering. His crime ring is said to "smuggle substantial amounts of cocaine through shipping containers via the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for distribution across Europe," according to the US Treasury. El Ballouti's younger brother and an associate were also sanctioned. Antwerp's port is a key conduit for drugs smuggled from South America to the European market, with frequent busts occurring around the extensive facility. Cocaine seizures at the port reached a record 116 tonnes last year.
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