Belgium has formally requested the extradition of Mounir “Mou” Namoussi, a 40-year-old Belgian drug baron, who was arrested during a raid in late February in Barranquilla, Colombia.
The arrest, conducted in collaboration with authorities from Belgium, Colombia, and the United Kingdom, also led to the detention of two other suspects.
Namoussi, a resident of Genk, Belgium, was previously sentenced in absentia to seven years in prison for drug trafficking in 2021.
The raid was part of an extensive investigation into international cocaine trafficking networks connected to Eastern European drug cartels.
Namoussi is alleged to have played a pivotal role in an international criminal organization involving both Eastern European syndicates and Latin American groups, including the notorious ‘Clan del Golfo’ — one of Mexico’s oldest criminal organizations.
His arrest was publicly announced on 1 March by Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán, the Director General of the Colombian National Police.
Belgian authorities moved swiftly following the announcement, with the Justice Ministry preparing an extradition request.
Anna Degraen of the Limburg Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the move, stating, “We will indeed request the extradition because he was convicted in absentia in our country.”
Degraen also highlighted the complexities involved in the process due to Colombia being a non-European country.
“The request must be translated correctly and precisely. We are currently working on that. When the translation is ready, we will pass it on to the Justice Ministry, and the request will be processed via diplomatic channels,” she added.
A Sophisticated Smuggling Operation
According to Colombian authorities, Namoussi employed an intricate method to smuggle cocaine into Europe. The operation involved using magnetic metal boxes capable of carrying between 270 and 300 kilograms of cocaine per week.
These boxes were reportedly attached to cargo ships at sea, allowing the drugs to bypass conventional port security measures. The contraband was then retrieved before the vessels docked at major ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Namoussi’s involvement in cocaine trafficking is not a recent revelation. He was convicted in 2021 by a court in Tongeren, Limburg, for orchestrating shipments of cocaine from Colombia to Rotterdam.
Born and raised in Genk, Namoussi later relocated to Maastricht, Netherlands, further expanding his network across borders.
The full extent of his operations and potential ties to ongoing investigations remain undisclosed, with Belgian authorities declining to comment on other possible charges.
A Crucial Link in International Trafficking
Described as a critical link in the international cocaine supply chain, Namoussi’s arrest is considered a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle networks funneling drugs into Europe.
His alleged association with both Eastern European and Latin American criminal organizations underscores the complexity and global scale of contemporary drug trafficking operations.
The extradition request now awaits approval through diplomatic channels, a process that could be lengthy given the complexities of international law and the need for precise translations.
If successful, Namoussi will face incarceration in Belgium, where he is already sentenced and potentially new charges related to his alleged ongoing activities.
As the extradition process unfolds, authorities in Belgium, Colombia, and the United Kingdom continue to investigate the broader network associated with Namoussi, aiming to disrupt one of the most sophisticated cocaine trafficking rings operating between South America and Europe.
