Belgian Drug Lord ’Freaks’ Captured in Antwerp After Evading Authorities

The Fugitive Active Search Team (FAST) of the federal police, in coordination with local police and federal judicial police of Antwerp, managed to end the run of Ali O., nicknamed "Freaks". In 2023, the Antwerp correctional court had found him guilty of transporting drugs and renting containers on behalf of a network of traffickers and had sentenced him to a total of 13 years in prison in two separate trials. He was the owner of a restaurant on Turnhoutsebaan. An attack had targeted his establishment as part of retaliation between rival gangs.

Since this double conviction, Ali was actively sought by FAST. According to investigators, he had fled to Morocco. However, they dismissed this hypothesis, as "certain elements indeed suggested that he was more than likely hiding" in the Antwerp region, explains the federal police in a statement. The same source added: "this suspicion was confirmed during the Easter weekend, when the individual fled after a police check, which left no doubt about his presence in Belgium".

Things moved faster. On Wednesday, FAST managed to locate Ali in the port area. He was arrested in the late afternoon by the arrest team (Snelle Responsteam) of the Antwerp police zone, then imprisoned in Antwerp prison.