Drug Baron Othman El Ballouti's Appeal Fails, 27-Year Sentence Stands

A Belgian court has upheld a 27-year prison sentence for drug criminal Othman El Ballouti. El Ballouti had appealed two convictions from 2024, which together amounted to the 27-year sentence. The court dismissed his appeal against one ruling and confirmed the sentences from the other.

El Ballouti is a notorious figure in Antwerp's underworld. In September 2024, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for importing 840 kilograms of cocaine. This conviction was handed down in absentia, as El Ballouti had been living in Dubai since 2016.

Months later, he received another conviction, also in absentia, in a separate major Belgian drug case. The court found him guilty of ordering a shipment of 11 tons of cocaine that was intercepted in the port of Antwerp in 2021. This resulted in an additional 20-year prison sentence.

El Ballouti was extradited to Belgium from the United Arab Emirates in the summer of 2024 and has been held in Bruges prison since. Following his extradition, he appealed his convictions. The Antwerp court was initially scheduled to hear the cases in January, but the defense successfully requested postponements. The cases were again delayed in March. On the day of the latest ruling, the court declared the appeal against one verdict invalid and confirmed the sentences in the other, meaning his combined 27-year prison sentences, handed down in absentia, remain in effect. His fines totaling 456,000 euros also remain unchanged.