Dutch cocaine trafficker extradited to Russia

Belgium extradited 58-year-old Dutch man Guido W. to Russia on Tuesday. He is suspected of being a leader in one of the world's largest drug cartels, and of trafficking tons of cocaine from Latin America via Russian ports to Western Europe, AD reports.

In Russia G. is charged with establishing a criminal organization and large-scale drug trafficking through that organization. The Russian Interior Ministry is investigating the Dutch man. "The gang shipped cocaine from Colombia to Russia", a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry said, according to the newspaper. "The drugs were hidden among legal export loads, mainly polyethylene grains. From Russian ports the drug transports went to Europe, in particular the United Kingdom and Ireland."

The Russian authorities were looking for Guido W. for years. At their request, Interpol put him on the Most Wanted List in April 2010. But it was only in March 2013 when the Russian Interior Ministry tracked him down in Belgian Limburg. The Pubic Prosecutor in Moscow asked Belgium to extradite him. Belgium decided to do so in March.