If this isn’t a cocaine poltline i don’t know what is!
A billionaire drug lord who was linked to murder and kidnap threats against the heir to the Dutch throne is on the run – after being released from prison accidentally.
An alleged leader of the Mocro Maffia, Karim Bouyakhrichan, 46, was arrested in January following a money-laundering investigation, but he was accidentally released when a Dutch extradition request was muddled up.
He then went on the run this month in what was called ‘worrying news’. The suspected cartel chief has also been linked to a plot to kidnap Princess Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne.
These cartels have been linked by Netherlands’ media to threats made against the Dutch Princess, according to the BBC.
Kidnapping threats from the organised crime world even led to the Princess living in Spain for at least a year, it was revealed last week.
Bouyakhrichan was hunted by Interpol for at least five years and was one of the most wanted criminals in Europe.
His brother, Samir, is suspect of founding one arm of the Dutch-Moroccan outfit Mocro Maffia before he was gunned down in 2014.
And it is alleged Bouyakhrichan subsequently took over. He was accidentally released when Dutch authorities requested he be extradited.
This was initially approved, but local officials insisted he face the charges in Spain, where he was being held.
Eventually, the count granted an appeal lodged by his lawyers and ordered his release, pending extradition, if he paid £43,000 bail.
Local media reported that ‘less burdensome’ measures such as forcing him to give up his passport and report to court every 15 days were seen as sufficient to tackle the risk of fleeing.
And he did report to court regularly from February 22 until April 1 – when he vanished.
A spokesperson at the Dutch public prosecutor’s office told the BBC it is ‘unknown’ why he was released from prison.
