Belgian Authorities Probe Moroccan ’Mocro Mafia’ in €367 Million Drug Money Laundering Case

The Belgian justice system has issued three international arrest warrants against Moroccan, Spanish-Moroccan and Pakistani nationals, in this money laundering case, reports La Dernière Heure. Judge Michel Claise is in charge of this case for which the federal prosecutor’s office wants to send twenty suspects to trial before the criminal court, including nine women, for participation in a criminal organization.

This organization was in the habit of collecting cash in French cities and then having it transit through Belgium to pass it on to the Netherlands, in suitcases. Several teams were involved. The investigation reveals that one team alone was responsible for the transport of exactly 150.7 million euros in banknotes hidden in bags concealed in specially equipped vehicles. Another team transported 111 million. Two others 40 million each. Bilal Z. and Christel, 35, transported 22.5 million and more than 1.7 million euros respectively.

At the request of Attorney General Julien Moinil, a joint Franco-Belgian investigation team was set up. The French customs intercepted the occupants of an Audi A5. An amount of 297,949 euros in banknotes was seized. Money from cannabis sales mainly in the Paris region but also in other cities in France, such as Besançon. The "mules," as they are called, admit to having worked, on order, for a network of secret money transporters. The modified vehicles (Audi, Mazda 6, Mercedes E250, VW Jetta) were made available to them.

The investigators discover through telephony that the gang was in contact with Belgium, the Netherlands, Morocco, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. The alleged leaders of the Mocro mafia are the brothers Saïd and Sallam Chaabani. They reside in Casablanca. Two others would be in Dubai and Pakistan. In Belgium, it is the Z brothers from a family in Jette who are at the head of the organization.