German authorities are sounding the alarm: fears are growing of possible mafia wars between rival criminal networks in Germany and the Netherlands. The hostage drama with a man and a woman in Cologne, who were brutally tortured, speaks of this. Their abduction is believed to be an act of revenge for an unpaid supply of drugs. The two, apparently members of a German organized crime group, were rescued in a police operation that resulted in four arrests, and after the search of six buildings and apartments in the city, two more people were detained.
Separately, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which neighbors the Netherlands, saw seven bomb attacks in just three weeks, including ATM bombings.
All these crimes are attributed to the so-called "Wet Mafia" - collective term for organized crime groups originating from Moroccan communities in the Netherlands. The term is highly contested, as those affected define it as racist.
Over 800 criminal networks in Europe
The Dutch mafia is just one of many criminal organizations: Europol distinguishes 821 separate organized crime networks in Europe with more than 25,000 members.
Most criminologists agree that in the meantime the group no longer has a homogeneous ethnic identity. "In the 1990s, the so-called "Wet Mafia" started importing cannabis into the Netherlands, and later expanded its activities to import cocaine," Dirk Peglo, head of the German Association of Criminal Investigators, told DV. "Therefore, we are dealing with a group whose structures have been created over decades. And not only Moroccan citizens belong to this criminal organization."
Similarities and differences with other criminal groups
By all accounts, this mafia is clearly far more brutal than organized crime groups in Germany. Stories of brutal torture and severed heads spread in the media, and there was even talk of plans to kidnap the 18-year-old Dutch heir to the throne, Amalia. The famous Dutch criminologist Cyril Feinout has calculated that every year the mafia kills between 10 and 20 people.
"All criminal groups are prone to violence, but with the Dutch mafia this is particularly pronounced," says Mahmoud Jaraba, a political scientist and crime researcher. In terms of their structures and business practices, the groups are similar, he adds, giving the example of the Arab clans in Germany - where the main players come from the same family, but they are not closed groups, Jaraba explains. "Without their networks in and outside Germany and the Netherlands, they could not survive," adds the expert.
Unscrupulous killings
The brutality and ruthlessness of the mafia is particularly evident in the Netherlands in 2021 with the murder of Peter de Vries. The famous crime reporter was shot on the street in Amsterdam after his TV appearance.
The Dutch mafia is also behind the murders of a prosecutor and the brother of a key witness. In February, 17 defendants, including gang leader Ridwan Taghi, received lengthy sentences for multiple murders and attempted murders. Tagi and three other mobsters were jailed for life, and in June six more men were convicted of murdering Peter de Vries.
Despite these successes of justice, criminal networks seem to be flourishing and extending their tentacles to Germany as well. "In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, we saw that the group is already active in Germany as well - and that it shows particular brutality," says investigator Dirk Peglo.
While the Cologne kidnapping showed that there can be disputes between criminal organizations, they generally seem to work closely together. Crime expert Mahmoud Jaraba agrees. In this collaboration, German gangs are apparently responsible for importing cocaine and heroin procured by their Dutch counterparts.
"We can't just sit and wait"
Researchers do not know exactly when the so-called "Wet Mafia" has also started to spread in Germany, nor what crimes were committed at its behest in the country. Dirk Peglo of the German Association of Criminal Investigators is adamant that politicians in Germany must do more to support the police in their fight against organized crime:
"We cannot just sit back and wait for structures similar to those in the Netherlands to be created in Germany. We must work very closely with the Dutch police and prevent cases like the one in North Rhine-Westphalia from becoming the norm," he stressed.