Belgian media are reporting that Othman El Ballouti, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan origin, has been arrested in Dubai based on an international warrant issued in Belgium. El Ballouti is part of the notorious Moroccan Mafia (Mocro Maffia) that controls the drug trade in Belgium and the Netherlands. Belgium is requesting extradition. Ballouti is charged with the importation of multi tons of cocaine into Europe. He has already been sentenced to 7 years in prison on one of the charges and is facing a possible 20 years on a separate charge.
The below article from De Morgen (Belgium) is translated from Dutch by Fousesquawk.
Fight against drugs
Othman El Ballouti, kingpin of Antwerp's drug scene, arrested in Dubai
-Editorial staff
December 3, 2024 at 08:53
According to several sources, the sought-after Antwerp drug boss, Othman El Ballouti, has been arrested in Dubai. That is reported by the newspaper, Het Laatse Nieuws. Belgian justice has searched for El Ballouti for years. He was named as one of the biggest kingpins in the Antwerp drug scene.
-Editorial staff, December 3, 20234 at 08:53
In September, Othman El Ballouti, aka, "El Patron", was sentenced in Antwerp to 7 years in prison for the importation of 800 kilos of cocaine. He himself was not present for the hearing. The man has been living for years in Dubai, where according to investigations by international journalists, he has 11 properties worth 7.5 million euros.
Soon he will face a more serious sentence hanging over his head in another case. (In this case), a sentence has been demanded (by the prosecution) of 20 years in prison and a fine of 800,000 euros for the importation of 11 tons of cocaine. Through (monitoring) of the Sky ECC communications service, police (intercepted) countless communications between drug criminals. Thus the investigators gathered much information on El Ballouti.
For now, the United Arab Emirates will not (comment) on the arrest, and also in Belgium, justice circles have given no official confirmation. It remains to be seen if or when he will be sent to our country.
The uncle of (....)
El Ballouti is the uncle of Firaous, the 11-year-old girl who was killed in January of last year when her house in Merksem was shot at. The youngest brother of El Ballouti was also targeted by other drug criminals. Almost 10 years ago, he was held hostage for 37 days in Brussels and later in Paris, where he finally showed up at a police station. Othman El Ballouti was said to have paid ransom money, although he himself said that his brother managed to escape on his own. He also said that the kidnapping had nothing to do with the drug scene.
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