Belgian Drug Kingpin ’Dikke Nordin’ Extradited from UAE to Face Justice in Antwerp

Nordin El Hajjioui is one of the most dangerous criminals wanted by the Belgian authorities. He is the first Antwerp drug trafficker to be extradited by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since the signing of the new extradition treaty between the two countries. The nicknamed Dikke Nordin arrived on Friday evening in Antwerp, on a military plane that landed at the Melsbroek air base.

Wanted by the judicial authorities of Antwerp, the man of Moroccan origin was first arrested in Dubai in 2020. But the Emirati authorities had opposed his extradition, releasing the criminal. After the signing of the new extradition treaty between Belgium and the United Arab Emirates, the Belgian authorities issued a new arrest and extradition warrant against Dikke Nordin. The criminal was arrested in 2023 in Dubai and placed in detention, pending the outcome of the extradition proceedings.

Nordin El H. is the main suspect in several major ongoing drug trafficking trials in Antwerp. He would also be involved in a drug case being investigated by the Limburg court. His lawyers, Master Louis De Groote and Hans Rieder, have initiated several recusal proceedings in order to delay the holding of these trials against Dikke Nordin.

For security reasons, the Belgian judicial authorities have not provided any information on the prison where the criminal will be transferred. Nordin will probably be presented this Saturday before the investigating judge of the Antwerp court, in charge of his cases. According to the Minister of Justice, Paul Van Tigchelt, other drug barons from Antwerp, residing in Dubai, will also be extradited in the coming months.