From Turkey to Morocco: The wild chase of the Antwerp drug trafficker Abdelilah El Messaoudi

Nicknamed "Black" or "Narcos", the 41-year-old criminal has established himself as a major figure in the international cocaine trafficking through the port of Antwerp. Arrested in February 2023 in Turkey, he had been under house arrest there with an electronic bracelet since September. Despite two Turkish court rulings favorable to his return to Belgium, he managed to escape, as revealed by De Morgen. Various sources confirm that he is now on Moroccan territory.

On Bladi.net: A Moroccan-origin drug baron arrested in Dubai

Elusive for more than a decade, the Antwerp man has accumulated convictions totaling 39 years in prison, of which he has served only a tiny fraction. His criminal activities began with cannabis plantations in 2013, before expanding to cocaine. Refuged for a time in Dubai where he invested in real estate, he was caught up by the decryption of the Sky ECC messaging system, which formally linked him to the import of dozens of tons of drugs.

Anticipating the end of his impunity in the Emirates, the drug trafficker had targeted Istanbul to acquire Turkish nationality through financial investments, thus shielding himself from extradition. While Turkey has since revoked many fraudulently obtained passports, this loophole has benefited other major crime figures.

On Bladi.net: Dubai extradites a Moroccan drug baron

Although the Belgian authorities have not yet been officially informed of his presence in Morocco, this new hideout significantly reduces the chances of seeing him incarcerated. As Morocco does not extradite its own citizens, Belgium will have to transfer the criminal cases for him to be tried there. A particularly complex and costly procedure, as it would require the translation into Arabic of tens of thousands of pages of investigation.