Crackdown on the Criminal Underworld: Dozens of European Crime Bosses Expelled from Dubai

Source: Algemeen Dagblad

Crackdown on the Criminal Underworld: Dozens of European Crime Bosses Expelled from Dubai

In the wake of professional footballer Quincy Promes' departure, dozens of top European criminals have also been expelled from Dubai. Meanwhile, Turkey has launched a series of major operations targeting organised crime. Paradise-like hideouts are no longer safe havens — “the sense of untouchability has completely vanished.”

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have adopted a much stricter stance this year toward foreign criminals who had been hiding out in luxury penthouses and towering skyscrapers. Cooperation between European law enforcement and the UAE has intensified significantly in recent years, driven by international treaties and growing diplomatic pressure.

According to sources within Europol, the individuals involved include major figures from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Scandinavia — all of whom managed their criminal empires from within Dubai. “These guys thought they were untouchable in their Palm Jumeirah penthouses,” said one anonymous investigator. “But those days are over.”

Around the same time Quincy Promes was convicted and forced to leave the country, at least thirty other European criminals were reportedly expelled. Many are believed to be linked to international drug cartels, money laundering schemes, and violent feuds within the European underworld.

Dubai has sent a clear message: the era in which the emirate served as a safe haven for criminals is over. Since the implementation of stricter extradition treaties — including agreements with the Netherlands — the number of arrests and deportations has risen sharply.

Criminal organisations are now seeking refuge in other, less regulated regions, but even there, pressure is mounting.

“The hunt is on,” says a source within international crime enforcement. “Anyone who thought sunshine, luxury, and anonymity would protect them is in for a rude awakening.”

🇪🇸 Spain Also Cracking Down on Criminal Networks

For years, Marbella symbolised luxury and indulgence — a playground for Europe's top criminals, far from the reach of law enforcement. But that image is rapidly crumbling. Spanish and European security services have now set their sights on the so-called “Costa del Crime”, as the region was cynically dubbed.

🔍 What’s happening in Marbella?

• Increased law enforcement activity: Spain’s Guardia Civil, working with Europol and international intelligence agencies, is carrying out targeted operations against drug networks and money laundering structures in Andalusia.
• More extraditions: Spain is actively cooperating in the extradition of wanted criminals to the Netherlands and other EU nations. Thanks to improved legal frameworks, escape routes are more limited than ever.
• Internal gang violence: The underworld is breeding unrest. In recent years, Marbella and surrounding areas have witnessed several violent incidents and assassinations — often linked to rival Dutch and Belgian gangs.
• Tighter real estate oversight: Realtors, notaries, and banks are under scrutiny. Real estate is frequently used for money laundering, but new laws and anti-money laundering measures are making life more difficult for criminals.

📉 From Safe Haven to High-Risk Zone

Where Marbella was once seen as a glamorous escape for criminals to “lay low in style”, it is now becoming a dangerous place for them. Just like in Dubai, the myth of immunity is fading fast. Criminals who once flaunted their Rolexes, yachts, and Bugattis are now keeping a noticeably low profile — or are on the run.