Rabat – Moroccan police have arrested Younes “El Magico” El Ballouti, the youngest brother of notorious drug baron Othman El Ballouti, in Tangier, leading to his transfer to Casablanca, where he is now incarcerated.
According to Belgian media reports, Younes was detained inside a Tangier shisha lounge after being caught using a forged passport.
Unlike his brother Othman, who was extradited from Dubai to Belgium earlier this year, Younes had fled to Morocco beforehand. Despite his attempt to evade European authorities, he now faces renewed legal troubles.
Younes already carries multiple convictions in Belgium for international cocaine trafficking and still has several years of prison time left to serve. His arrest in Morocco adds another layer to the family’s troubled history, which has long been tied to Antwerp’s criminal underworld.
The El Ballouti family, originally from Al Hoceima in northern Morocco, has become a notorious name in Belgium.
The mayor of Antwerp previously described them as one of the wealthiest criminal clans in the city, frequently associated with violent score-settling and organized crime.
Othman El Ballouti, the eldest brother, was sentenced in absentia to seven years in Belgium and is currently facing up to 20 years in prison after being extradited from Dubai.
His downfall was seen as a major breakthrough in Belgium’s ongoing battle against drug cartels operating through Antwerp, one of Europe’s busiest cocaine gateways.
Younes’ arrest in Morocco shows how the family’s criminal influence extends across borders, with both Belgian and Moroccan authorities now involved in pursuing justice.
