Dubai Police Arrest 3 Belgians Wanted by Interpol and Europol: The Legal Process Behind International Extradition

Three Belgian nationals were detained at Dubai International Airport in July 2025 after a routine passport scan flagged active Interpol Red Notices. Within weeks, Mathias Akyazili, Giorgi Faes, and Othman El Ballouti were extradited to Belgium to face charges of cross-border organized crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering. The operation revealed how tightly UAE authorities coordinate with Interpol and European law enforcement networks.

Dubai police arrested and extradited three Belgian nationals—Mathias Akyazili, Giorgi Faes, and Othman El Ballouti—in July 2025 following an international arrest warrant submitted by Belgian authorities through Interpol. The suspects were detained on Interpol Red Notices and were also listed by Europol in connection with cross-border organized crime, drug trafficking, gang formation, and money laundering.

Interpol Red Notice – an international alert issued by Interpol’s General Secretariat at the request of a member country, requesting law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal proceedings. Red Notices are based on national arrest warrants and must comply with Interpol’s Rules on the Processing of Data to ensure they are not used for political, military, religious, or racial purposes.

Europol – the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, which supports criminal intelligence exchange among EU member states and maintains databases of wanted persons, serious criminals, and organized crime networks. A Europol listing means the suspects’ data were circulated among European police forces as part of coordinated enforcement operations.

Key Takeaways

• Three Belgian nationals were arrested in Dubai in July 2025 on Interpol Red Notices and Europol listings, then extradited to Belgium to face organized crime charges.
• The UAE Ministry of Justice’s International Cooperation Department acts as the central authority for processing international arrest warrants and extradition requests from foreign governments.
• Extradition from the UAE requires court approval and completion of all legal and judicial formalities mandated by domestic law and applicable international treaties.
• Charges included cross-border drug trafficking, gang formation, money laundering, and possession of narcotics and psychotropic substances—all carrying prison terms of five years to life in Belgium depending on severity and role.
• The operation demonstrates how UAE police, Interpol National Central Bureaus, and European law enforcement platforms such as Europol now operate in genuine coordination rather than parallel isolation.

How Did Dubai Police Identify the Three Belgian Suspects?

When a passport hits the scanner at Dubai airport, does it instantly trigger an arrest? Nearly. Dubai police access Interpol’s I-24/7 secure communications system at all border checkpoints. The moment Akyazili, Faes, and El Ballouti presented travel documents, the system flagged active Red Notices issued at Belgium’s request.

But here’s the distinction that matters: Interpol Red Notices are not international arrest warrants in the strict legal sense. They are requests for provisional arrest based on a valid national warrant. Each of the 196 Interpol member countries decides independently whether to act on a Red Notice. The UAE, which has consistently strengthened its cooperation with international law enforcement, treats Red Notices as high-priority alerts and routinely detains individuals flagged in the system pending formal extradition procedures.

Belgian authorities submitted an international arrest warrant to the UAE Ministry of Justice’s International Cooperation Department—the designated central authority for handling mutual legal assistance and extradition requests. This formal request initiated the extradition process that ultimately removed the three men from UAE territory.

What Charges Did the Belgian Authorities File Against the Three Men?

Cross-border extradition doesn’t happen for minor allegations. According to the UAE Ministry of Interior, the charges included cross-border drug trafficking, gang formation, possession and distribution of narcotics and psychotropic substances, and money laundering. These offenses fall under organized crime statutes in both Belgian and UAE law, making them extraditable under international cooperation agreements.

Belgian prosecutors classified the suspects as part of a transnational criminal network. Europol’s involvement signals the investigation spanned multiple EU member states and relied on coordinated intelligence sharing. Europol databases allow national police forces to cross-reference suspects, track criminal networks, and issue coordinated arrest operations across borders. A Europol listing means the three men were not only wanted in Belgium but were considered persons of interest across the entire European Union’s law enforcement architecture.

What do these charges actually cost? Drug trafficking and money laundering carry prison terms ranging from five years to life in Belgium, depending on the quantity, role in the organization, and aggravating factors such as violence or corruption. Extradition treaties require dual criminality—meaning the alleged conduct must constitute a crime in both the requesting state (Belgium) and the requested state (UAE). Both jurisdictions criminalize drug trafficking and money laundering under their respective penal codes, satisfying this threshold requirement.

What Is the Legal Process for Extradition from the UAE?

To extradite a suspect from Dubai, a foreign government must navigate a structured legal framework that balances international cooperation with due process protections. Three stages determine the outcome.

Stage one: formal extradition request. Belgium submitted a formal extradition application through diplomatic or Ministry of Justice channels. The application must include the arrest warrant, a description of the alleged offenses, supporting evidence, and confirmation that the conduct satisfies dual criminality requirements. The UAE Ministry of Justice’s International Cooperation Department reviews the application for completeness and legal sufficiency before the judicial phase begins.

Stage two: judicial review. UAE courts examine whether the extradition request meets statutory requirements and whether extradition would violate fundamental rights. The court assesses whether the offense is extraditable under domestic law and applicable treaties, whether the evidence presented is sufficient to establish probable cause, and whether extradition would expose the individual to torture, persecution, or manifestly unfair proceedings. The detained person has the right to legal representation and may present arguments against extradition.

Stage three: ministerial approval. If the court approves extradition, the final decision rests with the UAE Minister of Justice. The minister evaluates whether extradition serves the public interest, whether diplomatic assurances are needed (for example, guarantees against the death penalty), and whether any humanitarian considerations warrant refusal. Once approval is granted, the requesting state arranges transport, and the individual is transferred under escort.

The official UAE statement confirms that “all required legal and judicial formalities were duly complied with” before the three Belgian nationals were extradited—indicating both court approval and ministerial authorization were obtained before transfer.

How Do Interpol Red Notices and Europol Listings Interact in Cross-Border Cases?

Why were the suspects listed on both Interpol and Europol systems? They serve complementary but distinct functions. Interpol operates globally with 196 member countries and facilitates information exchange through Red Notices, which alert police worldwide that a person is wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Europol functions within the European Union, providing a centralized database for wanted persons, criminal intelligence, and coordinated investigations among EU member states.

A suspect can appear on both systems when a crime affects multiple jurisdictions. Belgian authorities likely submitted a Red Notice request to Interpol to enable arrest outside Europe while simultaneously listing the suspects in Europol’s databases to coordinate intelligence sharing within the EU. Dual listing maximizes the likelihood of detection whether the suspect travels to a neighboring EU country or to a distant jurisdiction such as the UAE.

Interpol Red Notices are governed by the Rules on the Processing of Data, which require that notices be issued only for offenses carrying a minimum sentence threshold (generally two years or more), that the underlying warrant be valid and enforceable, and that the request not be predominantly political, military, religious, or racial in character. Suspects have the right to challenge Red Notices through the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF), an independent body that reviews complaints and can order notice deletion if it finds the data violates Interpol rules.

What Rights Do Detained Suspects Have During Extradition Proceedings?

Arrest on an Interpol Red Notice at a UAE border checkpoint triggers immediate protections under both international human rights law and UAE domestic law. The detained person must be informed promptly of the reasons for arrest and the charges filed in the requesting state. Consular notification is required under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which obligates the detaining state to inform the suspect’s embassy or consulate and allow consular access.

The right to legal counsel attaches immediately upon detention. The individual may retain a lawyer to challenge the legality of the arrest, contest the validity of the Red Notice, and present arguments against extradition during the judicial review phase. Legal challenges can include claims that the Red Notice was issued for political purposes, that the evidence is insufficient, that the charges do not satisfy dual criminality, or that extradition would violate prohibitions on torture or inhuman treatment.

Provisional detention has strict time limits. Most extradition frameworks require the requesting state to submit a complete application within 40 to 60 days of arrest. Miss that window, and the detained person can petition for release. Specific deadlines vary by bilateral treaty and domestic law, but the principle is consistent: detention without a formal request cannot continue indefinitely.

Even after extradition approval, the individual may petition for asylum or other forms of protection in the requested state—though such claims rarely succeed when the requesting country is a democracy with functioning legal safeguards. Worth knowing: extradition treaties often include specialty clauses. These prohibit the requesting state from prosecuting the extradited person for offenses other than those specified in the extradition request without the consent of the requested state. That protection travels with them.

How Often Do UAE Authorities Cooperate with Interpol and European Law Enforcement?

Are three Belgian nationals being extradited an isolated event or part of a pattern? The answer matters—it determines whether you’re watching a one-off occurrence or a structural reality of international enforcement in the region. The UAE has steadily expanded its role in international law enforcement cooperation over the past decade, and official statements from the UAE Ministry of Interior confirm multiple extraditions to European countries in recent years: Belgian, French, German, and Dutch nationals wanted for organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, and money laundering.

Dubai’s infrastructure amplifies this cooperation. The UAE hosts an active Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) that processes Red Notices and coordinates with foreign police agencies. As a global transit hub, Dubai intercepts wanted persons traveling through its airports at scale. Enhanced biometric screening and real-time database integration mean fewer people slip through undetected. European law enforcement agencies now view the UAE as reliable for high-priority cases—which translates to faster processing and higher extradition rates.

The legal foundation exists: bilateral extradition treaties with Belgium, France, Italy, and other countries enable case-by-case cooperation. The UAE has no blanket agreement with the European Union as a whole, but individual member state treaties work just as effectively in practice.

Recent operations show the pattern in action. UAE authorities extradited two additional Belgian nationals on comparable organized crime charges, again based on Interpol Red Notices and formal extradition requests routed through the Ministry of Justice. Repeat extraditions of this type demonstrate that when dual criminality and due process standards are met, the UAE prioritizes compliance with international arrest warrants.

Takeaway: Extradition from the UAE requires coordination across multiple authorities—police, courts, and the Ministry of Justice. The process balances international cooperation obligations with due process protections, ensuring arrests and transfers comply with domestic law and treaty obligations. That balance can be challenged, but only if you move fast.

Can a Red Notice Be Challenged Before or During Extradition?

Arrested on a Red Notice you believe was issued unlawfully? A formal mechanism exists. Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF)—an independent supervisory body of legal experts—reviews complaints alleging that Interpol data violates the organization’s rules.

File a complaint anytime: before arrest, during detention, or even after extradition. Common grounds include that the Red Notice was issued for a predominantly political, military, religious, or racial purpose; that the underlying conduct doesn’t constitute a crime in a substantial number of Interpol member countries; that the notice violates international human rights law; or that the requesting country hasn’t followed fair trial standards.

Success at the CCF means deletion. The General Secretariat removes the notice from the international database, and police in member countries no longer receive notification of wanted status. But here’s the limitation: deletion doesn’t automatically void national arrest warrants or extradition proceedings already underway. You can be prosecuted in the requesting country if extradition has already occurred or if you’re apprehended within that country’s borders.

Timing matters enormously. CCF challenges work best when filed early—before detention or extradition. Once custody transfers to the requesting state, your options shift. The primary relief mechanisms become domestic courts in that country and, if applicable, international human rights tribunals. Smart legal teams run parallel strategies: file a CCF complaint, challenge the extradition in the requested state’s courts, and simultaneously prepare defenses for the underlying criminal charges.

If you or a family member face detention on a Red Notice or cross-border extradition proceedings, specialized representation is not optional—it’s critical. Our legal team has experience challenging Red Notices through the CCF, contesting extradition requests in UAE and European courts, and coordinating defense strategies across jurisdictions. We also offer asset recovery and funds tracing services in cases involving money laundering or financial crime allegations. Early intervention often means the difference between prolonged detention and successful challenge.

This article is published by an independent law firm for informational purposes only and does not represent or claim affiliation with any government body, international organization, or official authority.