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'Cocaine king' to Italy's most-wanted: How UAE extradited 5 high-profile criminals
Local authorities act swiftly on international arrest warrants and Red Notices issued by Interpol to locate and detain high-profile fugitives
- PUBLISHED: Sun 9 Aug 2026, 7:30 PM
The UAE has not just made the Emirates a safe haven where residents and visitors can roam the streets at night and leave their belongings outside without a worry; it has also helped catch some of the most wanted criminals across the globe.
From drug lords to high-profile international fugitives, in recent years, the nation has ramped up joint cooperation with countries to extradite criminals.
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According to data released in 2022, Dubai Police had arrested 432 international fugitives wanted for various criminal acts between 2020 and 2022 — including leading or joining a criminal syndicate, premeditated murder, money laundering and armed robbery. The authority had also extradited 379 wanted persons to the concerned authorities of 30 different countries over the same period and repatriated 65 wanted fugitives from abroad.
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Here are some of the biggest names that were on the Interpol's list and were extradited from the UAE.
Daniel Kinahan
The UAE extradited Irish fugitive Daniel Kinahan — one of the masterminds behind Ireland's Kinahan Transnational Criminal Organisation (KTCO) — and handed him over to Irish authorities, it was announced on Sunday, August 9.
Kinahan is set to be prosecuted in cases related to transnational organised crime, including charges of leading a criminal organisation, murder, and illegal drug trafficking.
Kinahan, who was arrested in Dubai earlier, was named as one of three leaders of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group by the US in 2022 when it offered a $5 million reward for their arrest. Daniel fled to Dubai in 2016 after a shooting attack at a Dublin hotel with a rival gang put his life in danger.
The KTCO started off their criminal activities by distributing South American cocaine and heroin in Ireland, soon after which they began dealings across the UK and throughout mainland Europe. In addition to narcotics trafficking, the Kinahans have engaged in money laundering, firearms trafficking, and murder.
Sean McGovern
One of the most high-profile members of the Kinahan cartel was Sean McGovern, who is now behind bars at a maximum security prison in central Ireland.
Prior to his arrest by the Dubai Police in 2024, McGovern was wanted for organising a crime group and the murder of a member of a rival gang in 2016. Soon after, he fled to the UAE.
Some time before his arrest by the authorities, Interpol issued a Red Notice against him, which allowed Dubai Police to finally catch him.
For several years, Govern had been the subject of a Blue Notice — a request to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities.
Long before his arrest, many informal meetings took place between officers from the Interpol, the Dubai Police and the Irish Police in what came to be known as 'Operation Harvest', according to INTERPOL.
As per the Interpol, while he was in Dubai, police were in close contact with the global body and arrested him within an hour of publication of the Red Notice on October 10, 2024.
Othman El Ballouti
One of Belgium's most wanted international drug traffickers, Othman El Ballouti, was arrested in Dubai following an international manhunt, Dubai Police confirmed on December 9.
The arrest followed a formal request from the Belgian authorities, who issued an international Red Notice for his involvement in transnational organised crime and drug trafficking.
El Ballouti, who was listed on the Interpol and Europol wanted lists, was accused of running a major drug smuggling ring in the Belgian port of Antwerp — one of Europe's main drug gateways — and was the target of US sanctions.
El Ballouti was taken into custody after law enforcement teams carried out a targeted operation, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Justice's International Cooperation Department, which manages extradition requests.
On December 9, Dubai Police confirmed that El Ballouti has been referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution for legal proceedings related to his extradition. Belgium and the UAE signed an extradition agreement in 2021.
A Belgian-Moroccan national, El Ballouti had come to be known as the 'Cocaine King,' and was extradited along with two other high-profile criminals, Matthias Akyazili and Georgi Faes.
Raffaele Imperiale
In August of 2021, Dubai Police arrested Italy's most wanted criminal — Raffaele Imperiale — and his right hand man Raffaele Mauriello.
Part of the infamous Camorra organised crime group, Raffaele Imperiale had been on Interpol's Red Notice list from 2016 on charges relating to drug trafficking and organised crime.
According to the global body, he was arrested on July 30 that year by the Dubai Police, soon after which Raffaele Mauriello was caught on August 14. He too had two Red Notices against him for two separate murder cases.
Imperiale was living in Dubai using a fake identity and used the name 'Antonio Rocco'. To throw security agencies off his track, he would travel in different cars and resided in an isolated apartment. The house's location helped him observe the people that approached it. He had intentionally avoided registering an address, to mislead authorities and remain in the shadows.
At the time, Dubai authorities revealed the force had used its Oyoon project, which is powered by a network of smart cameras, to track the accused for a week.
Brigadier Jamal Salem Al Jallaf, director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), explained: “Backed with the latest artificial intelligence technology, our officers kept track of Imperiale's movements and revealed his deceptive methods in evading detection. At the zero hour, a team raided the house and arrested Imperiale. The team also seized large sums of cash, luxury watches and some valuable possessions, including paintings.”
Michael Paul Moogan
One of UK's cocaine kingpin's, Michael Paul Moogan, was arrested by the Dubai Police in 2021 after being on the run for eight years, as part of Operation Captura.
Moogan's arrest came shortly after authorities received a Red notice from the Interpol for his alleged role in a large-scale international drug trafficking plot in the Kingdom.
Moogan had been on the run since a raid took place at a cafe in Rotterdam suspected of being used as a front for meetings between drug traffickers and cartels, and central to a plot to bring hundreds of kilos of cocaine into the UK every week.
At the time, a senior official had confirmed that the investigation team was able to identify him although he had used a different name and nationality to enter the UAE.
How does UAE catch criminals?
1. Interpol Red Notices: Local authorities like Dubai Police and Sharjah Police act swiftly on international arrest warrants and Red Notices issued by Interpol to locate and detain high-profile fugitives.
2. Global agency partnerships: Law enforcement conducts joint transnational operations — such as multi-country drug busts, financial crime crackdowns, and operations alongside the FBI or European forces — to dismantle extensive overseas syndicates.
3. Surveillance and smart tracking: Advanced internal databases, border tracking tools, and GDRFA surveillance systems monitor suspicious movements, shell companies, and illegal immigration or money laundering networks.
4. Local prosecution and extradition: Following arrests, cases go through the UAE courts and the Dubai Court of Cassation to formally process extradition requests and transfer suspects back to home countries.
When can UAE authorities publicly identify offenders?
Although the UAE has partaken in some of the biggest operations against criminals, the law also treads carefully when it comes to naming offenders and declaring their crimes.
In a previous Khaleej Times article, legal experts revealed that the Attorney General has the legal authority to decide how and when information about crimes is shared publicly.
Under the UAE Cybercrime Law, residents can face prison terms and fines ranging from Dh250,000 to Dh500,000 for online insult or slander. Publishing photos, comments or information that violate another person’s privacy online can also carry prison sentences of at least six months and fines of up to Dh500,000.
Residents exposing others online may themselves be considered to commit criminal offences. The legal consequences can apply even if the shared information is true, experts explained.
While the Emirates focuses on transparency and justice, laws also protect vulnerable groups. Identities or images of juvenile offenders, victims of sexual crimes, or individuals granted suspended sentences is prohibited under specific provisions of the law.
Inputs from AFP
