French Drug Lord "Bibi" Extradited from Dubai: Major Blow to Cocaine Trafficking Network

End of the run for Abdelkader Bouguettaia, nicknamed "Bibi". Implicated in several investigations for drug importation, he was extradited from Dubai to France aboard a military plane on Thursday. This French national had been living in the United Arab Emirates for five years, from where he "managed cocaine imports". According to a source close to the case, he is also an occasional resident in Morocco. "A new narco-criminal has been extradited to France by the United Arab Emirates. Convicted three times by the French justice system between 2022 and 2023 and subject to two arrest warrants, he will have to answer for his actions," wrote Gérald Darmanin, the French Minister of Justice on X.

Originally from Le Havre, he is "the head of an organized network transporting large quantities of drugs produced in South America to Europe", and has been among the "priority targets of interest" of the Anti-Narcotics Office (OFAST) for several years, according to Nouvel Obs. According to La Voix du Nord, "Bibi" was notably sentenced in absentia to nine years in prison in Lille in May 2023 for his role in the importation of a container containing 599 kg of cocaine that had been intercepted in Antwerp (Belgium), and an arrest warrant had been issued against him.

According to the same source close to the case, this Norman would be the "sponsor" and "organizer" of an import of 2.5 tons of cocaine, discovered by the authorities in Cartagena (Colombia). "The cargo was supposed to land in the port of Le Havre," it is specified.