Moroccan police have arrested Younes “El Magico” El Ballouti, the younger brother of notorious drug baron Othman El Ballouti, in Tangier. Younes was detained inside a shisha lounge after being caught using a forged passport. He has since been transferred to Casablanca, where he is now held in custody.
Younes has multiple convictions in Belgium for international cocaine trafficking and still faces several years of prison time. Unlike his brother Othman, who was extradited from Dubai to Belgium earlier this year, Younes fled to Morocco to avoid European authorities. However, his arrest marks another chapter in the ongoing legal pursuit of the El Ballouti family.
The El Ballottis, originally from Al Hoceima in northern Morocco, are known as one of Antwerp’s most powerful criminal clans. The family has long been linked to organized crime, violent disputes, and large-scale drug trafficking through Antwerp, a major European cocaine hub.
Othman El Ballouti, the eldest brother, was sentenced in absentia to seven years in Belgium and now faces up to 20 years in prison following his extradition. Younes’ arrest in Morocco demonstrates the cross-border reach of law enforcement efforts to dismantle this criminal network.
