A Dutch national, Michel Z., aged 54, who was sentenced to life in prison in Belgium, has been apprehended in Croatia and extradited to Belgium, as confirmed by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Ghent to Belgian media. Michel Z. was convicted in absentia in mid-December for ordering the murder of a 41-year-old Belgian, Raouf Ben Alita, whose body was discovered in late 2018 in Kloosterzande, Zeeland.
The murder was linked to a drug-related dispute. Z. and his brother were involved in trading old vans with hidden compartments for drug trafficking, and a deal with Ben Alita had led to a conflict.
The court sentenced six Dutch nationals for the murder, including Michel Z. and his brother. While Michel Z. received a life sentence, the others were given prison terms of up to twenty years.
Michel Z. was not present for the sentencing, having evaded prison at the start of the trial. He was recently captured in a Croatian village near the Serbian border under a European arrest warrant.
Now in Belgium, he may appeal his conviction.
Source: NOS