39 years of prison avoided: how the Belgian cocaine king fled to Morocco

Considered one of the masterminds behind the importation of cocaine through the port of Antwerp, the 41-year-old criminal had been under house arrest in Istanbul since September 2023. According to information relayed by La Dernière Heure, he took advantage of security flaws to flee, despite the formal prohibition to leave Turkish territory. The Belgian Ministry of Justice has also confirmed that "the latest extradition request was rejected earlier this month".

On Bladi.net: From Turkey to Morocco: The crazy flight of the Antwerp drug trafficker Abdelilah El Messaoudi

Exposed by the decryption of the encrypted Sky ECC messaging, this figure of major crime has accumulated a heavy judicial record. First involved in the operation of cannabis plantations in 2013, his sentences have become heavier over the years, reaching 39 years of imprisonment, accompanied by tens of millions of euros to be returned to the State.

By managing to find refuge in Morocco, this dual national now ensures almost total impunity, as the Kingdom has the principle of not extraditing its own nationals. Faced with this situation, the Belgian government is trying to maintain pressure behind the scenes, ensuring that its network of liaison officers is "closely monitoring" the situation with the Moroccan authorities.

On Bladi.net: Drug trafficking: Why Belgian drug lords flee Dubai for Morocco

This escape shows a well-rehearsed avoidance strategy by drug traffickers. After a first exile in Dubai, the man had acquired Turkish nationality to block the proceedings. He now joins at least three other Belgian-Moroccan criminal figures who have used this same route to take definitive refuge on Moroccan soil.