KUWAIT CITY, 15 October 2006 — The United Arab Emirates has extradited to Kuwait a major drug dealer who was sought after he escaped from the emirate’s central jail nine years ago, Kuwaiti dailies reported yesterday.
Al-Qabas daily said Kuwaiti security authorities brought Ali Bu-Hbail, a Kuwaiti, back to the emirate late Thursday.
Bu-Hbail, who was serving a 15-year prison term, escaped in 1997 along with six convicted Iranian drug dealers apparently after paying two million dollars to the prison chief, the daily said.
They all went to Iran by sea. Bu-Hbail was arrested in the UAE in 1998 while attempting to smuggle 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds) of hashish and was sentenced to 10 years in jail until he was pardoned a few days ago.
In addition to his initial jail term, a Kuwaiti court had sentenced him in absentia for 10 years in jail and fined him $7.6 million.
