Rabat – Morocco’s intelligence services have provided their Dutch counterparts with precise information that led to the arrest of Redouane Taghi, the leader of a mafia network in the Netherlands known as Mocro Maffia, in Dubai on Monday, December 16, according to the Dutch government.
Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) also gave the Netherlands information that led to the arrest of six other members of the mafia in several Dutch cities, said a spokesperson of the Dutch police, relays De Telegraaph.
After Taghi’s arrest, Dutch police launched raids on private homes in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Vianen, and Huis ter Heide, and arrested five men and one woman, ranging in age from 29 to 45.
The men are allegedly members of the mafia, and they are suspected of money laundering, weapon offences, and possession of hard drugs.
According to Dutch media, the woman is Redouane Taghi’s sister.
The Netherlands says that Taghi’s family plays an important role in his criminal organization. Police have already questioned two of his sisters, and two of his brothers are in jail in Morocco.
On December 16, Emirati authorities arrested the mafia leader in Dubai, after receiving information about the fake identity he was using from the Netherlands.
According to the Dutch police spokesperson, it was Morocco’s BCIJ that communicated Taghi’s new fake name and biometrics with their Dutch counterparts.
Before the arrest, Dutch police suspected that Taghi was hiding in Morocco. BCIJ’s information, however, denied the suspicions and put the investigations back on the right track.
Following Taghi’s arrest, Dutch officials transported him back to the Netherlands where he was wanted in relation to several murders.
The Netherlands transferred the 41-year-old suspect on a private jet, under heavy protection, in case of a retaliation attack from the members of his mafia.
The criminal mastermind is also a suspect in the Cafe La Creme shooting that happened in Marrakech in November 2017. Morocco suspects Taghi ordered the attack.
On November 2, 2017, two Dutch members of Mocro Maffia opened fire at Cafe La Creme in Gueliz, Marrakech, before fleeing the scene on a large motorcycle.
The attack targeted the cafe’s owner, Mustapha “Moes,” who was involved with the mafia’s drug operations and stole €27 million from Taghi.
The shooting, however, killed a 26-year-old medical student and injured his classmate.
BCIJ investigated Mocro Maffia after the attack, leading to the arrest of the two shooters and the two Taghi brothers, along with several other members.
Mocro Maffia is the largest drug trafficking network in Europe, operating in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain.
In its early days, the mafia worked mainly on importing marijuana from Morocco’s Rif region into Europe. However, as it gained more notoriety, it arranged partnerships with South American drug cartels and started importing hard drugs such as cocaine.
The criminal organization was involved in at least 87 murders in the Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname, and Morocco. The mafia has also made organized attacks to threaten several news outlets including Panorama and De Telegraaf.
While the arrest of Taghi is considered to be an important milestone in the fight against organized crime in the Netherlands, his right-hand man, Said Razzouki, is still on the loose.
Dutch police advertised a bounty of €100,000 for anyone who could provide information leading to the arrest of the two criminals.
Morocco’s contribution to apprehending one of the Netherlands’ and Europe’s most wanted criminals boosts its international reputation in security and threat prevention.
In 2016, Morocco warned Germany before the Berlin attack that killed 11 people and injured 70.
In 2018, Moroccan intelligence warned Germany again of a potential terror attack at the Stuttgart airport.
A number of countries consider Morocco as a key partner in the fight against terrorism, including Spain, the US, Belgium, and France.
Earlier this month, the chief prosecutor of Spain’s National Audience, Jesus Alonso, said, “Like Spain, France, and Belgium, Morocco is determined to eradicate this cross-border global phenomenon, which threatens the security and stability of the international community.”
