An alleged crime gang leader from Ecuador on Interpol's most wanted list has been arrested by authorities in the UAE.
Roberto Carlos Alvarez Vera was apprehended following a request by authorities in Ecuador, the state news agency Wam reported on Monday.
He is accused of being a senior figure in the Border Commandos, a dissident group of Colombia's defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces.
Ecuador has said the Border Commandos were responsible for an ambush in the Amazonian province of Orellana in May, in which nine Ecuadorian soldiers were killed.
John Reinberg, Ecuador's Minister of Interior, thanked his country's intelligence officers and police in a message on X, announcing the arrest of Vera, who he said was in the process of being transported to Ecuador to face justice.
The UAE said the arrest highlighted its commitment to global partnerships aimed at disrupting crime networks.
“This outcome underscores the firm commitment of both countries to upholding the rule of law and strengthening international co-operation in combating transnational crime, including narcotics networks”, Wam added.
It is not the first time in recent months that the UAE has moved to arrest people wanted for questioning in other countries. Marko Dordevic, the alleged leader of the Vracarci gang, also known as the Witchcrafters, was arrested at the start of the month after an Interpol Red Notice was issued against him.
Arrests were also made in Spain and Serbia as part of Operation Haris. Mr Dordevic was arrested after police in the emirate co-ordinated with Europol, Eurojust – the EU agency for criminal justice co-operation – and Serbian authorities.
In October, 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, the state news agency Wam reported at the time.
“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.
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 fugitives – 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.
