How Morocco put pressure on Dubai to arrest Ridouan Taghi

The arrest of Dutch organized crime figure Ridouan Taghi in Dubai in December 2019 was presented as a resounding victory for the police. Yet behind this image of success lie years of frustration, waiting and suspicion. But Morocco’s intervention was undoubtedly a key moment in this hunt.

From 2017, Dutch investigators were categorical: Taghi, suspected of being involved in a wave of murders, was holed up in Dubai. They provide the Emirati authorities with an impressive quantity of information: addresses, false passports, places of attendance, names of his relatives, his son’s school, etc., reports RTL News. They even report Taghi’s presence at the extravagant wedding of Raffaele Imperiale, an Italian drug trafficker who has business connections with the Dubai royal family. “It was an open secret,” confirms a local source. “Everyone knew Taghi was there, but no one lifted a finger. » However, the extradition of the criminal is still pending. “We ran into a wall,” confides an investigator. “Every request went unheeded. We suspected that he benefited from protections. »