Narcotrafficking: Why Belgian drug lords flee Dubai for Morocco

Long seen as a haven of peace, Dubai is seeing its attractiveness wane for the masterminds of the Belgian drug trade. The recent interceptions of missiles and the fall of debris on the emirate are plunging residents into uncertainty, threatening the comfort of the drug lords who manage their networks remotely.

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The impact of the conflict goes beyond the mere physical security of drug traffickers. According to criminal lawyer Nathalie Gallant, a prolonged war would above all paralyze financial flows and money laundering. This scenario recalls the Lebanese banking collapse of 2019 which had forced criminal organizations to migrate to less exposed areas. Morocco, the protected promised land for drug lords

The role of these barons has evolved towards a "global financial back-office" role, according to a Europol report. Rather than container logistics, they now orchestrate international transfers and shell companies. A destabilization of the Emirati financial center would therefore strike at the heart of this invisible money laundering system.

At the same time, judicial pressure is increasing in the United Arab Emirates. Belgium has recently strengthened its cooperation with Dubai, facilitating the extradition of major figures like Othman El Ballouti. Faced with this risk of imprisonment and regional instability, around 40 traffickers targeted by the Belgian justice system are now considering taking refuge in Morocco, analyzes La Libre.

This movement towards the Kingdom represents a major challenge for the authorities in Brussels. The vast majority of Antwerp drug trafficking barons are of Moroccan origin and hold dual nationality. However, Moroccan legislation strictly prohibits the extradition of its own nationals, even dual nationals, to a third country.

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If these drug lords settle permanently on Moroccan soil, nothing will oblige the Kingdom to hand them over to the Belgian justice system. This legal loophole turns Morocco into an impregnable sanctuary for criminal networks, durably complicating the dismantling of the structures that continue to operate on European territory.