Overview

• Spain’s National Court (Sección Tercera) ordered the immediate release of Firass Taghi after finding the statutory window to deliver him to the Netherlands had expired.
• The delivery order became final on August 7 but was not relayed to Spain’s Sirene office until August 12, a delay central to the defense appeal.
• Taghi’s lawyers filed a direct appeal on September 3, and a September 12 ruling revoked his pretrial detention, leading to his excarceration.
• He was arrested in June entering Spain through Tarifa following Dutch actions tied to a June 17 operation that targeted a network linked to 366 kg of cocaine via Antwerp.
• The case revives concerns over repeat procedural failures, echoing the 2024 release and disappearance of alleged Mocro Maffia leader Karim Bouyakhrichan in Spain, and involves a suspect related to Dutch crime figure Ridouan Taghi.