Mocro Maffia's growing presence in Germany sparks concern

The Mocro Maffia, a «Moroccan criminal organization» involved in trafficking synthetic drugs in the Netherlands, is expanding its operations in Germany. This expansion has led to increased tensions and a series of violent incidents. A report by Deutsche Welle highlights that the organization, which first emerged in the 1990s, is now establishing a concerning presence in the North Rhine-Westphalia region.

Mahmoud Jaraba, a researcher at the Erlangen Center for Islam and Law in Europe, notes that the group's members are known for extreme violence, as seen in recent acts of torture and brutal murders.

In early July, a failed drug deal led to the abduction and torture of a man and a woman in Cologne. The victims, thought to be members of a German criminal organization, were released after six suspects were arrested in a police operation. In the past three weeks, the region has experienced seven explosions linked to attempted ATM robberies, all attributed to the Mocro Maffia.

Dirk Peglow, head of the Federation of German Detectives (BDK), emphasizes that the group can no longer be simply labeled by ethnicity. «The so-called Mocro Mafia began importing Cannabis indica [marijuana] into the Netherlands in the 1990s, and later expanded their operations to include the importation of cocaine», he says.

Peglow urges German authorities to strengthen their cooperation with Dutch counterparts to counter this growing threat. «We in Germany cannot wait until similar [criminal] structures to the ones in the Netherlands develop», he stresses, acknowledging that current resources are insufficient to tackle this cross-border organized crime.