The UAE extradited two men to Belgium after an Interpol red notice was issued against them.
The Ministry of Interior handed over the fugitives after they were arrested by Dubai and Sharjah police, state news agency Wam reported on Wednesday.
“The two are wanted criminals in Belgium,” the ministry said. The two men are wanted by authorities in Belgium for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering as part of an organised gang.
“The extradition reflected the UAE's commitment to combating transnational organised crime and embodied its commitment to international co-operation in consolidating the principles of justice and enhancing security and stability,” the ministry added.
Latest extradition this year
The extradition is the latest to take place in the UAE this year. In August, Dubai Police extradited a Dutch national accused of drug trafficking and money laundering to the Netherlands. The suspect was arrested under an Interpol red notice and handed over following a ruling by the UAE's Ministry of Justice.
The case comes amid a broader crackdown on organised crime networks operating across borders.
A week earlier, two other suspects – one wanted in France, and the other in Belgium – were extradited for their alleged roles in large-scale drug trafficking and gang-related activities.
In July, Dubai Police arrested and extradited three alleged Belgian crime gang leaders facing human and drug trafficking charges in their home country.
The three suspects – Mathias Akyazili, Giorgi Faes and Othman El Ballouti – were listed in the most-wanted category by Interpol and Europol.
In Belgium, they are accused of serious cross-border crimes, including operating a gang, trafficking drugs and psychotropic substances, committing robbery and human trafficking.
In the same month, Dubai Police extradited two French nationals facing fraud and drug trafficking charges.
On August 15, the UAE extradited one of China's most-wanted fugitives, accused of running a multimillion-dollar illegal gambling operation.
The man, arrested in Dubai, was handed over to Chinese authorities under an Interpol red notice after being linked to a network that laundered profits through offshore accounts.
One of the UAE's most significant extraditions was on May 29, with the handover of Sean McGovern, who is alleged to be a senior figure in Ireland's Kinahan organised crime group.
He was detained in Dubai last year following an Interpol red notice and was flown to Dublin on an Irish military aircraft.
