Suspected Dutch crime lord Ridouan Taghi arrives in Netherlands after Dubai arrest

He was handed over just days after police in Dubai raided a villa where he was hiding

Ridouan Taghi has been extradited to the Netherlands from Dubai.
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One of Europe's most wanted men arrived home in the Netherlands on Thursday after being swiftly deported from Dubai.

Ridouan Taghi, 41, was arrested on Monday at a luxury villa in the city by Dubai Police following a joint operation with authorities in the Netherlands.

Wanted in connection with more than 10 murders and accused of running one of Europe's largest drug cartels, Mr Taghi was flown into the country amid intense security.

He was transferred to the Vught, a maximum security prison for  terrorists and murderers serving life sentences.

Mr Taghi was believed to be the Netherlands' most wanted man and officials had issued a €100,000 (Dh408,000) reward for his capture.

The process to return him to the Netherlands had been expected to take months due to the lack of an extradition treaty with the UAE.

On Thursday, his lawyer Inez Weski told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that her client had been "kidnapped".

"There have been consultations between the Netherlands and Dubai for months, and then without trial, without having access to a lawyer or a judge, he was picked up by Dutch police and brought to the Netherlands," she said, adding that it was “law by proxy".

Dutch prosecutors are now preparing him for trial in February. The case is known as Marengo.

Morocco also submitted an extradition request for Mr Taghi in connection with the murder of a judge's son.

A key witness called Nabil B told prosecutors that Mr Taghi was behind a number of murders.

It is alleged that Mr Taghi ordered the murder of Nabil's brother last March after his testimony.

He also allegedly ordered the murder of Nabil's lawyer, Derk Wiersum, in September.

The murders mounted pressure on authorities and more than 100 detectives were put on the case.

Police tracked his henchmen's movements to Dubai and discovered that Mr Taghi was living in a villa, having entered the UAE on a fake passport.

It is alleged he ran a hit squad called "the Angels of Death".

Many of the killings he is believed to have ordered  were said to be either revenge killings or related to turf wars.

It was also alleged that Mr Taghi was behind a third of Europe's cocaine trade and is rumoured to have made €100 million from dealing.

Dubai Police said his capture highlighted "the influential contribution of the UAE to fighting crime globally".

A further five men and one woman, aged between 29 and 45, were arrested in Amsterdam, Huis ter Heide, Utrecht and Vianen in the Netherlands on Monday night. They are being held on suspicion of money laundering and possession of weapons and drugs.

An international arrest warrant was issued for Mr Taghi last year.

Jannine van den Berg, head of the national police division in the Netherlands, said: “In today's world, building strategic co-operation is more important than ever and it is through close international co-operation that it is possible to act effectively and decisively. His arrest is a good example of this."