Extradited from Dubai: What we know about Dutch drug kingpin's son

The son of Dutch drug kingpin Ridouan Taghi appeared in a Dutch court on Monday following his arrest and extradition from Dubai over the weekend, prosecutors said.

Faissal Taghi, 23, was sent to the Netherlands late on Friday on charges of alleged international drug smuggling, money laundering, and planning violent crimes, the Dutch Public Prosecutors' office said. Faissal was apprehended in Dubai in September 2023.

According to Dubai Police, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof publicly praised the UAE for its cooperation in facilitating Taghi’s extradition. “His Excellency Dick Schoof, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, has commended the UAE's efforts and security cooperation, through the Dubai Police, in extraditing Faisal Taghi, a high-value target criminal wanted by Dutch authorities,” the police said in a statement.

Faissal was transferred to the Public Prosecution in Dubai and handed over to the relevant judicial authorities in accordance with legal procedures.Dubai Police

Faissal's father Ridouan Taghi, 46, was apprehended in Dubai in 2019. He was linked to a high-profile criminal organization involved in a series of violent crimes, including an alleged assassination campaign. He was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in a series of murders in the Netherlands. The case was described as one of the largest criminal trials in Dutch legal history.

Ridouan Taghi, Faissal's father was arrested in 2019 by Dubai PoliceDubai Police

Dutch authorities previously issued a €100,000 (409,000AED) reward for information leading to Faissal's arrest. Ridouan Taghi's criminal empire was notorious for its brutality, involving a series of targeted assassinations primarily aimed at those suspected of informing to the police. The criminal network orchestrated at least 13 hits between 2015 and 2017, leading to multiple life sentences for those involved.