In a high-stakes international handoff that could have come from a crime drama, three Belgian nationals accused of leading a major criminal network were extradited from the United Arab Emirates to Belgium on July 13. The suspects—Mathias Akyazili, Giorgi Faes, and Othman El-Ballouti—had been on the radar of both Interpol and Europol for serious offenses, including drug trafficking, robbery, and human trafficking.
Their arrest in Dubai was the result of a coordinated effort between the city’s General Department of Criminal Investigation, the UAE Ministry of Interior, and international law enforcement. Interpol red notices paved the way, and Belgium submitted official arrest warrants via the UAE Ministry of Justice. The Dubai Court of Cassation gave the green light for the extradition, under a bilateral agreement signed in 2021 and enforced in 2022.
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“These types of operations show how serious we are about tackling international crime,” a Dubai Police spokesperson said, calling it a textbook example of cross-border policing at work.
Once the suspects landed in Belgium, UAE Justice Minister Abdullah bin Sultan Al Nuaimi and Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden spoke by phone. Verlinden didn’t mince words, calling the extradition “a testament to the deepening legal partnership between the UAE and Belgium.”
Al Nuaimi emphasized that the UAE remains fully committed to international justice efforts and to bringing criminal fugitives to face the law, no matter where they run.