All shots were allowed.
The “Mocro Maffia” loses one of its masterminds, arrested in Spain after five years of tracking by the authorities.
The drug lord was a “priority target” of the authorities and a pillar of the vast European network.
Karim Bouyakhrichan rose to the head of a clan of the criminal organization after the death of his brother, Samir, in 2014. Nicknamed “Scarface”, the latter was killed near Marbella in the south of Spain, a murder which had led to a real “reorganization of the clans”.
It was this upheaval which, one thing led to another, led the authorities to his brother.
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Behind his character as a drug lord, an enigmatic and discreet gang leader whom his security service never left, hid a experienced and powerful criminal.
Moving from one country to another, very careful about his communications… Karim Bouyakhrichan orchestrated real “large-scale drug trafficking”.
The end that justified the means
Cocaine trafficking, laundering of six million euros… The Mocro Maffia is a “solid infrastructure”, moreover “maritime and commercial”, which operates from Morocco to the Dominican Republic via the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands .
It is behind a third of cocaine imports into Europe.
The stigma of an important network, the Mocro Maffia uses ruthless methods.
Beyond traffic, the motto is simple: “All who speak will die”.
In a “Ligne rouge” program recently devoted to the organization, our colleagues from BFMTV report that on several occasions, the network would have organized the assassination of people revealing information about it.
This is evidenced by the story of Martin Kok, a journalist who was the victim of two assassination attempts before being fatally shot in his car.
Not to mention the death threats targeting politicians, or even the attempted kidnapping of the Dutch Minister of Justice.
The Mocro Maffia brought mafia habits and customs from South America into Europe, and increased the violence of crimes linked to drug trafficking.
In 2022, our colleagues from Le Monde reported, Crown Princess Amalia, 18, had to stop going to university to take her classes due to threats of kidnapping or attack.
At the same time, the head of government, Mark Rutte, had to interrupt his bicycle trips, in particular because of suspected lookouts seen around his home.
Refugee in Spain
During the arrest, authorities seized a total of 172 properties belonging to the organization.
Their value is estimated at 50 million euros.
Karim Bouyakhrichan was placed in pre-trial detention with five other members of the network.
Many European traffickers find refuge in Spain, particularly in seaside resorts.
It happens that clashes between rival gangs take place, as last May, when two French people coming from Marseille were assassinated in Catalonia.