The United Arab Emirates has extradited two men to Belgium, Belgian federal prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday.
One of the men is Nordin El Ballouti, the brother of Othman El Ballouti, a major figure in Antwerp's cocaine trade. Both men, aged 31 and 46, are now in custody in Belgium.
At the end of 2024, Othman El Ballouti was sentenced by the Antwerp criminal court to seven years in prison for importing and selling cocaine and for taking part in a criminal organisation.
He is also the uncle of Firdaous, the 11-year-old girl who was accidentally shot dead in her home three years ago during a shooting linked to the drug underworld.
The second man extradited is a Georgian jewellery dealer. He was sentenced in Antwerp in 2023 to 30 months in prison for laundering stolen gold and jewellery.
Belgium and the UAE signed an extradition treaty in 2021 to strengthen cooperation against organised crime. Since then, 12 suspects have been extradited to Belgium, with another 26 requests still pending.
"This successful cooperation shows the shared determination of Belgium and the UAE to tackle serious organised crime and strengthen international judicial cooperation," the federal prosecutor's office said.
Since December 2021, date when Belgium and Abu Dhabi signed an extradition treaty, 12 extraditions have been carried out in total.
A further 29 extradition requests are currently being processed.
