Dutch authorities on Saturday released a British Formula One fan after he was mistakenly arrested on suspicion of being a notorious Sicilian Mafia boss.
The man, only identified by his lawyer as Mark L, 54, from Liverpool, was handcuffed and blindfolded on Wednesday when heavily armed police stormed a restaurant in The Hague, shocking onlookers.
The arrest came after Italy issued an international arrest warrant, believing that the man was Matteo Messina Denaro, a leading Sicilian Mafia boss on the run since 1993.
"The man arrested earlier this week in a Hague restaurant, is not the man sought by Italian authorities," the Dutch public prosecutor's office said.
"He has been freed immediately."
His lawyer, Leon van Kleef, said there were suspicions of a mix-up from the start.
"My client told me he was from Spain, where he now lives and was here for the Formula One race last weekend in Zandvoort," Mr Van Kleef said.
"I had a strong hunch to believe him," he added.
After his arrest Mark L was taken to Vught maximum security prison, where some of the country's most notorious criminals are held, news reports said.
Prosecutors earlier on Saturday said Mark L was being held while his identity was checked by the Italian authorities.
"It's like a bad movie, a nightmare that my client has found himself in," Mr Van Kleef said.
Although the Italian arrest warrant was still in effect, quashing it now was a "mere formality", he added.
Asked whether his client would seek compensation, Mr Van Kleef said: "We will look into it."
The Dutch public prosecutor's office said the arrest was carried out at the request of the Italian authorities.
"If they say 'arrest this person', we arrest that person. That's the mutual agreement we have with them," an official told the NOS public broadcaster.
Cosa Nostra crime family boss Matteo Messina Denaro, 59, is one of Italy's most wanted criminals and is known by his nickname "Diabolik".
He is suspected of being involved in a spate of bombings including the infamous assassinations of top anti-Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.
Denaro was sentenced in absentia in 2002 to life in jail for his role in the 1993 bombings.
Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
- Records of goods and services that have been disposed of or used for matters not related to business
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Draw for Europa League last-16
Istanbul Basaksehir v Copenhagen; Olympiakos Piraeus v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen; VfL Wolfsburg v Shakhtar Donetsk; Inter Milan v Getafe
Sevilla v AS Roma; Eintracht Frankfurt or Salzburg v Basel; LASK v Manchester United
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
