A Venezuelan man, who became one of Interpol's most wanted fugitives following a high-profile diamond robbery, is set to be extradited from the United Kingdom to Belgium.
The Antwerp Heist and International Manhunt
Hugo Javier Marin Salgado, 68, is wanted in connection with an organised and armed robbery in which diamonds were stolen from a shop in Antwerp. The city's Public Prosecutions Office confirmed the details of the case, which led to a global appeal for information.
Salgado was tried in absentia by the Antwerp Criminal Court on 23 February 2017. He was found guilty and sentenced to 37 months in prison, with an immediate arrest order issued. His subsequent evasion of justice prompted authorities to issue an Interpol Red Notice, placing him among the world's most sought-after criminals.
Arrest and UK Court Proceedings
The long-running international search concluded earlier this year when Salgado was located and arrested in the UK. He was detained under a Part 1 warrant, a legal instrument that facilitates extradition requests from designated 'Category 1' territories, which include Belgium and the Netherlands.
In June, Salgado appeared via video link from HMP Thamesmead in south-east London for a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Court records show he is already serving a separate custodial sentence in Britain and has consented to his extradition to Belgium.
However, magistrates ruled that the transfer should not occur until he completes his domestic sentence. This decision invoked Section 36C of the Extradition Act 2023, which applies to serving prisoners from Part 1 countries.
The Power of the Interpol Red Notice
Salgado's capture highlights the function of the Interpol Red Notice system, a tool launched in the late 1940s to help member countries share information and track international fugitives. The process begins when a member country or international court submits a request, which is then reviewed by a specialised task force.
If approved by Interpol's general secretariat, the notice is circulated to all member nations. There are currently 6,505 such Red Notices active, including one for suspected terror mastermind Samantha Lewthwaite, known as the 'White Widow'.
The system's first major public appeal led to the 2007 capture of Canadian sex offender Christopher Paul Neill, who was subsequently sentenced in Thailand.
For now, Hugo Salgado remains in a UK prison, awaiting the completion of his sentence before facing justice in Belgium for the audacious diamond theft that made him a global fugitive.
