Dubai Arrest Ends in Belgian Prison for Antwerp Drug Trafficker “Nadori”

This time, Nasserdine “Nadori” Tarrahi did not escape Belgian justice. After spending several years in the United Arab Emirates, the 38-year-old figure in Antwerp’s drug trade has been extradited to Belgium. His transfer, announced Wednesday, October 14 by the newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen, comes two and a half months after his dramatic arrest at a shopping mall in Dubai.

On Bladi.net : Moroccan Drug Lord Nadori Arrested in Dubai After Cocaine Conviction

On July 30, “Nadori” was shopping at the Mall of the Emirates when he was detained by local police. Najim “Troy” E.M., another trafficker wanted by Belgium, was arrested at the same time. Belgian authorities had been waiting for years to get their hands on Tarrahi, who was convicted in absentia in several organized crime cases.

In May 2026, the Antwerp criminal court sentenced him to 12 years in prison, fined him 96,000 euros and ordered the confiscation of five million euros. The judges found him guilty of leading an organization responsible for importing at least 840 kilos of cocaine through the port of Antwerp in 2020. The drugs had an estimated value of more than 22 million euros.

He oversaw his cocaine trafficking operation from Dubai

The investigation revealed a particularly well-organized operation. Using decrypted messages from the Sky ECC encrypted messaging service, police discovered that “Nadori” continued to run his activities from Dubai. A building in the Borgerhout district of Antwerp served as a logistics hub. Equipped with surveillance cameras, it allowed the trafficker to monitor his associates’ movements remotely and oversee operations.

Tarrahi’s criminal history goes back well before this case. His nickname, “Nadori,” refers to Nador, Morocco, where he had stayed after leaving Belgium. He had notably belonged to the “Turtles” criminal group, whose story inspired the Belgian film “Patser.” In 2022, he had already been sentenced to five years in prison in the case involving a trafficking network nicknamed the “Mixers.”

On Bladi.net : Belgium: Luxury in Dubai, Social Benefits in Antwerp

His arrival in Belgium does not end his legal troubles. In a new case involving cocaine imports organized with the help of a freight forwarder at the port of Antwerp, prosecutors have sought a further seven-year prison sentence against him. According to specialist outlet Crimesite, investigators suspect the network organized several drug shipments using containers specially prepared to evade inspections.

The extradition now allows the Belgian justice system to resume proceedings against “Nadori” directly. Convicted several times in absentia, he will be able to challenge the May 2026 judgment through the appeals procedures provided for under Belgian law.