Three Antwerp Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Up to Nine Years in Prison in Morocco
In a significant legal development, three fugitives involved in drug trafficking from Antwerp have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to nine years by a Moroccan court. This verdict follows their arrest in Marrakech in June 2023, as reported by the Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. The convicted individuals are Abdelilah "Black" El Messaoudi, aged 42, Moraad "Glamourboy" El Kasmi, aged 35, and Mohamed "Kikker" Benhaddou, aged 47. They were unexpectedly transported from their prison to a court in Marrakech, where their trial concluded the same day.
According to reports, El Messaoudi received a five-year sentence, Benhaddou was sentenced to eight years, and El Kasmi to nine years in prison. The court proceedings also involved several other French and Dutch nationals who faced similar charges. It is important to note that this case is separate from their previous convictions in Belgium or the international arrest warrants issued against them. The Moroccan charges are primarily related to money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization, rather than their earlier offenses in Belgium.
Sources close to the accused indicated that they plan to appeal the sentences. The three individuals had been evading Belgian justice for several years before their apprehension in Morocco. Notably, El Messaoudi has a staggering 34 years of accumulated prison sentences for cocaine trafficking in Belgium, while El Kasmi received a 52-month sentence in a drug-related case known as "Makreel." Benhaddou is also facing over seven years in Belgium for drug trafficking and money laundering linked to his former brewery, Dikke Mee.
While the recent hearing in Morocco did not clarify how the country intends to address the Belgian sentences, a new hearing may be scheduled for September. The cases of the Belgian-Moroccan suspects have reportedly been forwarded to Moroccan authorities, but it remains to be determined whether Moroccan law will recognize the Belgian sentences or initiate new legal proceedings for the offenses committed on Moroccan soil.
As reported by yabiladi.com.
