Two drug kingpins have been killed in Europe, one of whom was to have been a witness in the trial of alleged Dutch crime lord Ridouan Taghi.
Mr Taghi, who was arrested in Dubai in 2019, is facing trial over a number of alleged murders in the Netherlands and has been accused by prosecutors of plotting a violent prison break and ordering killings from his cell.
Bledar Muca, 39, was shot dead outside his apartment in Antwerp, Belgium, on Saturday.
He is believed to have been the right-hand man of two prominent Albanian drug dealers and had been living in London under fake British identity documents until 2020.
The fatal shooting comes a week after the killing of Utrecht drug trafficker Ebrahim Buzhu, 52, who was known as “the butcher".
He was found with a gunshot wound to the head in a burnt out car in Cadiz, Spain.
Buzhu was believed to be Mr Taghi’s rival and had reported him to the police in 2015.
He was to be an important witness in his trial.
Mr Taghi, along with 16 others, is alleged to have been part of the crime group known as the “Mocro Mafia” and is accused of murder and attempted murder.
He was arrested in Dubai in 2019 after a raid on his luxury apartment and was sent to the Netherlands to face trial.
Police and prosecutors believe he has continued to order killings from his prison cell and allege that he was planning a jailbreak.
He is being held in the Extra Secure Institution in Vught, the Netherlands, where military personnel have been drafted in to help guard him.
Court documents allege Mr Taghi gave one of his lawyers, his cousin Youssef Taghi, instructions for escape plans.
It is alleged he was planning to hire a commando of Balkan mercenaries to try to free him and had given instructions for three separate escape plans.
Mr Taghi’s lead lawyer Inez Weski denies the claims.
Last week Youssef Taghi was charged with abusing legal privilege by passing messages from the prison to the criminal underworld. He denies the charges.
Dutch police have increased security for Prime Minister Mark Rutte to protect him over fears of an attack or a kidnap attempt after he vowed to purge the Netherlands of drug gangs when prominent investigative reporter Peter R De Vries was gunned down in July 2021.
Mr De Vries had been advising the key witness, Nabil Bakkali, a former gang member, in Mr Taghi's trial when he was killed.
It came after the killing of Mr Bakkali's lawyer Derk Wiersum in 2019 and his brother Reduan Bakkali in 2018.
It is alleged that Mr Taghi ordered the killing of Reduan Bakkali after his testimony.
Officials in Belgium say the drug operations are run out of Amsterdam and the majority of the cocaine arriving in Antwerp is then taken to the Netherlands.
Latest figures show the majority of Europe's drugs are smuggled through Belgium, with a turnover of up to €130 billion ($145bn) a year, the UN says.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES
September 30
South Africa v Australia
Argentina v New Zealand
October 7
South Africa v New Zealand
Argentina v Australia
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
More on animal trafficking
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
US households add $601bn of debt in 2019
American households borrowed another $601 billion (Dh2.2bn) in 2019, the largest yearly gain since 2007, just before the global financial crisis, according to February data from the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
Fuelled by rising mortgage debt as homebuyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, the increase last year brought total household debt to a record high, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2008 just before the market crash, according to the report.
Following the 22nd straight quarter of growth, American household debt swelled to $14.15 trillion by the end of 2019, the New York Fed said in its quarterly report.
In the final three months of the year, new home loans jumped to their highest volume since the fourth quarter of 2005, while credit cards and auto loans also added to the increase.
The bad debt load is taking its toll on some households, and the New York Fed warned that more and more credit card borrowers — particularly young people — were falling behind on their payments.
"Younger borrowers, who are disproportionately likely to have credit cards and student loans as their primary form of debt, struggle more than others with on-time repayment," New York Fed researchers said.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
