Drug lord Othman El Ballouti was found with a mobile phone in his cell at Bruges prison, according to De Morgen and confirmed by a reliable source to Belga.
El Ballouti, who had lived freely in Dubai for several years, was arrested in 2024 at Belgium’s request.
He was sentenced by Antwerp’s criminal court to 27 years in prison for cocaine trafficking across several legal cases. He was extradited by the United Arab Emirates last summer.
He is the uncle of Firdaous, the 11-year-old girl who was killed in 2023 during an attack in Merksem.
According to De Morgen, prison staff discovered the phone during a routine cell search on Monday.
The mobile phone has been seized and is being examined as part of a thorough investigation.
De Morgen also noted concerns over the ability of high-security prisoners to gain access to such prohibited items, calling the incident deeply troubling.
