Wanted Belgian drug lord Othman El Ballouti arrested in Dubai; extradition sought

One of Belgium's most wanted international drug traffickers, Othman El Ballouti, has been arrested in Dubai, following an international manhunt, Dubai Police confirmed on December 9.

The arrest follows a formal request from the Belgian authorities, who issued an international red notice for his involvement in transnational organised crime and drug trafficking.

El Ballouti, who is listed on the Interpol and Europol wanted lists, has been accused of running a major drug smuggling ring in the Belgian port of Antwerp — one of Europe's main drug gateways — and is the target of US sanctions.

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El Ballouti was taken into custody after law enforcement teams executed a targeted operation, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Justice’s International Cooperation Department, which manages extradition requests.

"We obtained his arrest, we will now see if we can get his extradition," a judicial source told AFP on December 3, adding that Brussels would seek his extradition.

On December 9, Dubai Police confirmed that El Ballouti has been referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution for legal proceedings related to his extradition. Belgium and the UAE signed an extradition agreement in 2021.

"There are several cases for which Belgium is requesting his extradition," the source said of El Ballouti — a known figure in Belgium's criminal underworld whose 11-year-old niece was reportedly killed in a shooting in Antwerp last year.

Last year, he was hit by US Treasury sanctions for allegedly running an "international criminal organisation" and money laundering.

El Ballouti's crime ring "smuggles significant quantities of cocaine via shipping containers through the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for wider distribution throughout Europe", the US Treasury said.