Colombia to extradite suspect in major assassinations case

The Supreme Court in Colombia ruled on Thursday that Said R. can be extradited to the Netherlands, De Telegraaf reported. R. is a suspect in the Marengo process, a major trial involving multiple assassinations, and believed to be the right-hand-man of main suspect Ridouan Taghi.

The suspects in the Marengo process are accused of involvement in six assassinations, four attempted assassinations, four counts of preparing for murder, and the preparation of an attack on a spy shop in Nieuwegein. All these crimes happened between September 2015 and January 2017.

R. was arrested in the Colombian city of Medelin in February last year. He was caught while pretending to be an elderly man, wearing a beard as a disguise, according to NU.nl. He could face life in prison in the Netherlands.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) expected that R.'s extradition would take months yet. But thanks to the Colombian Supreme Court ruling, it could happen in a matter of weeks. R. is currently detained in the Colombian capital of Bogota.