Weapon Wheel

Lore & Background

Moroccan criminal networks in Europe have been active since the 1990s, consisting mostly of Belgian and Dutch citizens with a Moroccan immigrant background. They have privileged relationships with Colombian and Mexican cartels, and often import drugs through the harbours of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Algeciras. The term 'Mocro maffia' was made public by author Martijn Schrijver in 2013, following his book published in 2014. The Mocro-War began in 2012 after a large cocaine shipment was stolen by the Turtle clan in the Port of Antwerp. Ridouan Taghi became a prominent figure, jailed in a maximum security prison in the Netherlands. His right-hand man Saïd Razzouki was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2024.

Reader's Guide

The Moroccan mafia appears in large Belgian and Dutch cities including Antwerp, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Almere. In the mid-2010s, organisations were also established in southern Spain (mainly around the Costa del Sol region), and in the rest of Europe, South America, and the United Arab Emirates. The term 'Borgerokko Maffia' is used in Antwerp due to the impact of the illegal economy in Borgerhout.

Did You Know?

• The Moroccan mafia gains a revenue of around €20 billion a year in the Netherlands alone, according to Dutch investigator Pieter Tops.
• The Netherlands is the largest producer of MDMA and amphetamines in the world.
• The Marengo trial is considered the biggest criminal case in Dutch history, focused on dismantling the organisation of Ridouan Taghi.