18 hours ago
Cousin of Ridouan Taghi caught attempting escape to Morocco
Spanish police arrested Ridouan Taghi's cousin, a key figure in the «Mocro Maffia» in the Netherlands, last Saturday. Firas Taghi was caught at the Tarifa border crossing while preparing to flee to Morocco. According to sources close to the ongoing investigations, the Dutch media outlet Algemeen Dagblad (AD) reported on Wednesday that the 24-year-old is linked to an international drug trafficking investigation.
Firas Taghi's name first appeared in police investigations in 2020, connected to plans to help Ridouan escape following his extradition from Dubai to the Netherlands, where he is now held in a maximum-security prison. Ridouan Taghi has since been sentenced to life imprisonment. Along with his brother, the nephew allegedly contacted individuals to facilitate his relative's prison escape. The same sources say he also attracted authorities' attention again in 2021.
He is now suspected of money laundering, with €8,000 in cash found at his home, as well as other criminal activities. AD reports that he is allegedly involved in a drug trafficking network operating in the Betuwe region, linked to «El Chapo van Tricht», a major figure in international trafficking.
Last week, police carried out several raids on homes in Gelderland. Specialized teams seized drugs, cash, cryptocurrencies, luxury cars, safes containing weapons and valuables, along with phones and computers. The operation led to two arrests.
Investigators say the group operated on a large scale, trafficking hard and synthetic drugs, including party drugs.
