UAE extradites Dutch citizen to serve 4.3-year sentence for cocaine, amphetamine crimes
The United Arab Emirates have extradited a 41-year-old Dutch man from Nieuw-Vennep to the Netherlands, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) confirmed. The man arrived at Schiphol Airport on Friday to serve a prison sentence of 1,575 days (approximately 4.3 years) for drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to the OM, he was involved in smuggling cocaine and amphetamine to Sweden in 2012. The drugs were concealed in a hidden compartment in a vehicle crossing the border. He was also involved in importing cocaine from Peru in 2012 and 2013.
The man was initially sentenced in March 2016 to 87 months in prison. The Amsterdam Court of Appeal later reduced the sentence to 68 months, and in 2023 the Supreme Court finalized it at 67 months.
The man had prior convictions for money laundering and welfare fraud. After receiving a final conviction for leading a criminal organization, he fled to the UAE, where he was tracked down by a specialized Dutch police unit targeting fugitives.
Since August 2023, a new extradition treaty between the Netherlands and the UAE has been in effect. The OM said that about two weeks ago, 11 criminals had already been extradited under the treaty, including footballer Quincy Promes and Faissal, son of alleged criminal Ridouan Taghi. Authorities expect the number of extraditions to increase. Extradition procedures in the UAE typically take one to one and a half years.
