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On Wednesday, April the 4th, discussing ways to fight against organized crime has been in the heart of the Dutch lower house. In this regard, Dutch Justice Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus, stated that «the police should have greater ability in our fight against Mocro-Maffia».
The minister also announced that the government will start by imposing «heavier sentences when it comes to gun possession and against hitmen». However, these measures had already been suggested in the past. Grapperhaus admitted he did not have a «clear answer to this wave of murders».
Commenting on the same issue, Antwerp’s mayor (Belgium), where the Mocro-Maffia is as active as in Rotterdam, has openly criticized the government, believing that the phenomenon is «spreading all over Europe».
Mocro-Maffia : An evil that must be eradicated
The network is also operating in Belgium, especially in Antwerp. Bart De Wever, Antwerp’s mayor, explained that stating ; «these activities little by little invaded Antwerp».
The Belgian mayor and while speaking at a Dutch TV show directly accused the Netherlands, pointing at their «tolerant policy towards organized crime which has become deeply rooted» in society.
To understand the real size of this phenomenon, having an overview of the situation is necessary. Journalist John Meeus who is specialized in crime explained the origins of the appellation «Mocro-Maffia» : Morocco and Mafia. Mocro is a word commonly used by the Dutch when trying to refer to Moroccans.
Commonly accepted for many years, it is only in 2010 that this appellation made its way to the Dutch media. At that time, people were talking about a new generation of criminals, who focused on drug trafficking, particularly cocaine. Nowadays, this network, which began by minting hashish, is expanding its activities covering prostitution, weapons, and ecstasy.
Moroccans and West Indians compete
Contacted by Yabiladi, Habib Kaddouri, former spokesman for the Dutch-Moroccan foundation, explained that «competition between Moroccan and West Indian gangs has caused a lot of damage».
Since 2014, more than 30 killings were conducted by the Moroccan mafia. Nine innocent victims of these abuses have lost their lives, said John Meeus.
Among these confrontations, called the Mocro War by the Dutch press, the most striking one is dating back to 2012. Many people lost their lives after 200 kilograms of cocaine disappeared.
«Collateral» damage
A recent report from VRT explains «the story of the Mocro-Maffia in five questions». A very important point is raised now : «taking revenge by killing your family» is an option that has been frequently used by these criminals and which gained so much notoriety.
Habib Kaddouri told Yabiladi that «in the last five years, violence has increased, because innocent people who have nothing to do with the networks die every day».
Indeed, a survey recently made headlines in the Netherlands, referring to the death of Reduan B, brother of a witness who was cooperating with the Dutch police. His brother Nabil, who was also murdered, had collaborated with the Dutch police, providing them with key information on the «Mocro Maffia». This information made it possible to locate several members of the network.
A source from the Police told the Spanish news agency EFE that Reduan was killed a week after his brother became a police informant. Three suspects were arrested on Thursday. The main suspect is a man from Curaçao, a Caribbean island annexed to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is currently in detained in a Dutch prison awaiting trial.
