Othman EB’s luxurious life appears to be over: Antwerp drug lord arrested in Dubai

One of the main Belgian drug traffickers, whose extradition Belgium has been demanding for several years, was arrested in Dubai.

Antwerp drug lord Othman EB, who was wanted, was arrested in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, at the request of Belgian justice, Het Laatste Nieuws reported on Tuesday based on several sources. This man is the uncle of Firdaous, 11 years old, who was killed, hit by one of the bullets that targeted her house in January 2023 in Merksem (Antwerp).

Neither the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office nor the office of Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt have been willing or able to confirm the news of the arrest for the moment.

Othman EB has been staying in Dubai for years to escape Belgian justice. He was recently sentenced to seven years in prison in Antwerp for importing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine through the port of Antwerp. Next week, he faces an even heavier sentence in another drug case, where 20 years in prison have been requested against him. He has also been targeted by US Treasury sanctions since 2023 as a suspect in importing cocaine into the United States.

Several extradition warrants concern Othman EB in Belgium, as well as his younger brother Younes. Both are high on the list of “high value targets” believed to reside in the UAE.

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