The Netherlands and Morocco look to expand extradition agreement

Dutch Justice and Security Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius said she was optimistic that there will soon be more grounds allowing for criminals and suspects to be extradited either from Morocco to the Netherlands, or vice versa. The minister notified the Tweede Kamer about the issue on Monday, saying that bilateral negotiations between the two countries on a new extradition treaty will soon get underway.

The aim is to intensify their joint fight against organized crime. They want to tackle violent criminal networks that look to launder their illegally-obtained assets through international constructions.

"We see criminal networks earning big money from international drug trafficking, with which they try to infiltrate and corrupt our legal economy through underground banking and money laundering constructions," Yeşilgöz said. "Meanwhile, we are dealing with drug-related violence in our streets and our youth are being recruited into crime."

Together with Morocco, the minister thinks it is better to dismantle the "criminal power structures with their criminal players."

It is not yet known which grounds for extradition will be expanded. This will be discussed during the negotiations for the bilateral treaty, in which specific agreements will also be made about the procedures to be followed. If there is a new treaty, each extradition request will continue to be assessed individually on the basis of legal frameworks and th terms of relevant treaties, the ministry emphasized.

The cooperation with Morocco is part of the international agenda for the future of tackling organized crime, and crime which subverts social norms, which Yesilgöz announced last June.