Spain accidentally releases drug lord who planned to kill heir to Dutch throne – POLITICO

The national court in Madrid gave the green light to the request, but the provincial court in Malaga, which has jurisdiction over the area where Bouyakhrichan was arrested, refused to execute it, arguing that the drug lord faced serious charges. money laundering charges in Spain before being extradited elsewhere.

Dutch authorities appealed, filing a new urgent request emphasizing that the cartel leader was one of Interpol’s most wanted criminals and was wanted for his role in a decade-long pan-continental drug war and during which dozens of people were killed in Belgium. , the Netherlands, Spain and Morocco.

Spanish radio station Cadena SER revealed on Tuesday that although the National Court accepted the Dutch appeal, it neglected to issue a detention order that would have allowed Bouyakhrichan to remain behind bars until his extradition. is carried out.

When his money laundering case had its first hearing at the Malaga provincial court last month, the court president agreed to release the gang leader on €50,000 bail. Bouyakhrichan, a billionaire who has bank accounts and properties around the world, quickly paid the money and left town. The authorities have not seen him since.

In 2022, Princess Amalia of the Netherlands had to move out of her student housing complex and return to the royal palace after police obtained credible evidence that Bouyakhrichan planned to either kidnap or assassinate the heir of the throne.

The cartel leader’s release will likely require a strengthening of security protocols put in place to protect his safety, as well as that of political leaders, including interim Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported was on the list of possible high-level figures from Bouyakhrichan. profile targets.