He Flees His Sentence in the Netherlands… and Is Given Eight Years in Morocco

This Moroccan-Dutch dual national residing in Hilversum had been sentenced on April 20, 2022, by the Midden-Nederland court to 46 months in prison. After deducting his pretrial detention, he had 1,202 days left to serve.

On Bladi.net : article 123474

The conviction concerned money laundering, the trafficking and possession of significant quantities of cocaine and cannabis, as well as participation in a criminal organization, the Dutch prosecution service said.

Morocco takes over the prosecution

After the judgment and before serving his sentence, the man had returned to Morocco. The Dutch authorities then entered him in the international wanted persons database, enabling his arrest in the kingdom.

The fugitive presumably thought he was safe, as Morocco does not extradite its own nationals and does not directly enforce Dutch judgments. The Hague nevertheless used the mutual legal assistance treaty binding the two countries to ask Rabat to take over the prosecution.

Moroccan justice reconsidered the case and handed down a sentence of eight years in prison, along with a fine equivalent to nearly 8,000 euros.

On Bladi.net : Dutch fugitive voluntarily returns from Morocco to serve prison sentence

According to the Dutch prosecution service, the arrest of this man had already prompted another fugitive to voluntarily come forward from Morocco in June in order to serve the sentence he had left to serve in the Netherlands.