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The Dutch authorities arrested in a major operation conducted Tuesday, 2nd of October, seven people suspected of being affiliated to the criminal network known as Mocro mafia (Moroccan mafia).
The raid was launched earlier this morning, at around 6 am, says Dutch daily De Telegraaf. The police confirmed that the operation is related to the Mocro mafia, added the same source.
Searches took place in the towns of Nieuwegein, Utrecht Tiel and Vianen. According to Dutch media, the police are on the hunt for Redouane T., who is suspected of ordering several assassinations in the Netherlands and in Morocco, including the Café La Créme incident that occurred on November the 2nd, 2017 in Marrakech.
The police are also looking for Saad R. who have allegedly undergone a plastic surgery to change his appearance, says RTL Nieuws. According to Mick Van Waly, a journalist specialized in criminal cases at De Telegraaf, Redouane T. is probably one of the criminals who is behind most of the killings that took place in the Netherlands in the recent years.
Police fail to arrest Redouane T.
Later in the day, Dutch police said that the arrestees are aged between 25 and 46 years old and linked to the ongoing investigation. Telegraaf reports that the operation conducted today, took place in the neighborhood where Redouane T.’s relatives live.
In August, Moroccan police announced the arrest of the two brothers of Redouane.T, who are accused of helping the two men that were behind the Marrakesh shooting. The two brothers took orders from their brother who lives outside Morocco, said the Directorate General of National Security (DGSN).
The Dutch Minister of Justice, Ferdinand Grapperhaus, for his part announced that the country will apply «heavier sentences on criminal possession of weapons and hitmen».
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.
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.
