Morocco Denies Extradition of Notorious Drug Lord Sofiane Hambli, Delaying French Trial

Expected in France to appear from June 7 to 10 before the 13th chamber of the Bobigny correctional court, along with about ten other defendants, for "attempted unauthorized importation of narcotics" and "participation in a criminal conspiracy", Sofiane Hambli is still in prison in Morocco, reports L’Obs. The Moroccan authorities did not give a favorable response to the request for temporary handover of the drug baron "for a period of 6 months from June 7, 2022 to December 7, 2022 [...] in order to allow his trial and the possible appeal of this judgment". A request addressed by the Bobigny public prosecutor, Eric Mathais, on April 26.

In a letter addressed to the French embassy in Rabat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad justifies the decision: "Sofiane Hambli is the subject of several prosecutions before the Moroccan justice system. Also, the Moroccan authorities express a reservation on the request for provisional extradition due to the seriousness of the crimes committed and the dangerousness of the perpetrator."

"The French authorities also undertake by means of this request to (re)extradite the person concerned to Morocco at the end of this period, to continue the execution of the procedures concerning him," the prosecutor specified in his request. But the extradition procedure for Sofiane Hambli could prove to be long and complex. After his arrest in a clinic in Tangier, he was questioned on the premises of the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca as part of an investigation into an international drug trafficking case, smuggling, kidnapping and detention, reported Moroccan media.

The Franco-Algerian would be the mastermind of the kidnapping of Moufide Bouchibi, his former associate turned rival. He would also be involved in other cases. According to a source close to the case, it is "not certain that we will see Sophiane Hambli in France again anytime soon", as his French lawyers are unaware of the content of the Moroccan procedures against him.