Arab Mafia in Berlin

At the beginning of the 20th century, large groups of Kurds, Arabs, Armenians and Assyrians fled from southeastern Turkey (mainly from Mardin and Savur ) to Lebanon, fleeing the oppression of the Ottoman authorities . Beginning in the 1970s, especially after the outbreak of a brutal civil war , large Kurdish and Palestinian families began to move from Lebanon to Germany, settling in large German cities, and especially in West Berlin. They bought inexpensive housing, founded family enterprises and gradually transported numerous relatives from their homeland. Arab clans subordinated to their influence the business of compatriots and other migrants, extorting money for "protection" from shops, cafes, hookahs ("shisha bars"), hairdressers, car repair shops, laundries and small hotels. The dominant role among the Arab mafia was taken by the Arabic-speaking Kurds with the mahallas (natives of Beirut and Mardin), who were distinguished by strong cohesion and mutual assistance. They were poorly integrated into German society, kept apart and focused only on their family clans ^{[6] [4] [11] [12] [13]} .

Many members of Arab clans adhere to strict Sharia law , which is why they refuse to deal with prostitutes or pornography. Strict rules reign in Arab-speaking families, especially for women. On September 1, 2008, 20-year-old Iptechal Al Zayn from the influential Arab clan Al Zayn was found dead in a parking lot near the autobahn. Her uncle Hussein, brother Hussein, and cousin Ezzedin were later convicted of the murder of Iptechal. Al-Zane’s clan family council decided to kill Iptihal for allegedly “misbehaving” that was contrary to Islamic standards (in particular, she met a Turk against her family’s will) ^{[14] [15]} .

In July 2017, a law came into force in Germany that hit the property interests of the Arab clans in Berlin. From now on, police could seize real estate, money and cars, after which the suspect had to prove their legal origin. Previously, even if the police detained a person who received social benefits from the state, and then discovered large amounts of money from him, the burden of proof lay on them ^{[16] [12]} .

In July 2018, the Berlin police arrested 77 properties owned by the large Arab clan Remmo. Members of this clan were suspected of laundering criminal proceeds, theft and robbery. Objects with a total value of over 9 million euros included built-up land in Berlin and the surrounding area ^{[17] [18]} .

In September 2018, Lebanese criminal authority Nidal Rabi, who was part of the ramified Arab clan Abu Shaker, was shot dead in a park in the Tempelhof district of Berlin. According to one version, the murder of Rabi became revenge for the death of another criminal authority - Semmi, who was stabbed to death several days earlier. According to another version, Rabi was shot dead because his people had previously fired on a bar in Kreuzberg , which belonged to another powerful Arab clan - Remmo. About 2 thousand people from among the Arab, Kurdish, Turkish, Albanian and Chechen clans gathered at the funeral of Rabi ^{[19] [20] [21] [22] [23]} .

By the beginning of 2019, the tendency for Chechens to emerge from under the wing of the once powerful Arab clans was clearly manifested. If earlier Chechens mainly worked for Arab clans, then over time their brigades became isolated and even began to squeeze former “patrons” in many criminal spheres ^[24] . On March 21, 2019, in the center of Berlin, in the area of Alexanderplatz square, there was a mass brawl of supporters of two warring bloggers - Thatsbekir and Bahar al Amouda (the latter belongs to the influential Arab mafia clan). About 400 young men arrived at the meeting, about 50 people took part in the fight, of which nine were detained ^[25] .

The areas of greatest activity of the Arab mafia in Berlin are Neukölln , Schöneberg , Kreuzberg , Mitte , Moabit , Wedding , Charlottenburg , Spandau and Bukkov ^{[26] [5] [27] [28] [29]} . In addition, the Arab mafia is influential in German prisons, where there are significant Arab, Kurdish and Turkish communities (especially in the Berlin prisons of Moabit, Tegel and Heyding).

Many members of large Arab families visit the Turkish Shekhitlik Mosque in the Neuköln district of Berlin. Some members of the clans are buried in the Muslim cemetery, which is spread around the mosque ^[30] . Berlin Arabs also visit the Al-Nur Mosque in Neuköln, the Umar ibn al-Khattab Mosque in Kreuzberg, the Ibrahim Al-Khalil Mosque in Tempelhof , the Al-Sahab Mosque in Wedding and the Mevlan Mosque in Kreuzberg. German authorities rank some of these mosques as Salafi .

Arab clans trade in Berlin for wholesale and street drug trafficking, car thefts, car thefts, robberies of trade and financial institutions, arms and ammunition trade, attacks on competitors and debtors, and “sheltering” vegetable shops and eateries where shawarma is prepared. They control street prostitution and small brothels in apartments, collecting tributes not only from prostitutes, but also from Romanian, Bulgarian, Albanian and German pimps . Arabs also hunt for various types of insurance and rental car fraud. The group’s proceeds of crime are laundered through front companies, buying up land, residential buildings and commercial real estate. Arab clans purposefully recruit into their ranks refugees from Syria and North Africa, who are held in temporary camps and hostels for migrants ^{[4] [5] [6] [31] [32]} .

Also, the Arab clans of Berlin are involved in an extensive network of traffickers : they provide illegal immigrants with false documents, look for them a job, and then take a significant part of their salaries to pay off the debt. Thanks to their own funds or investments of partners from Lebanon, Arab families buy apartment buildings in Berlin, turning them into hostels for refugees, buy restaurants, hookah and nightclubs, and invest in large construction projects. Often, Arab clans (especially of Kurdish-Lebanese descent) engage in armed struggle with competitors from among Turkish Kurds, Turks, Chechens, Kosovo Albanians or Romanian gypsies. Also, members of the Arab clans or militants hired by them from other ethnic groups in Berlin threaten police, prosecutors, judges and lawyers, bribe, intimidate or kidnap prosecution witnesses ^{[6] [5] [33] [26] [34]} .

There is evidence that the Arab clans of Berlin may recruit supporters among young cadets and policemen of Arab origin ^[35] .

As of 2016, there were about 20 Arab family clans in Berlin, in each of which dozens of relatives were engaged in criminal business. Almost all clan members are related by kinship - they are brothers, cousins, sons-in-law or brother-in-law. Conflicts between clans are resolved through reputable "elders" ( imams , heads of families, "arbitrators") who try to avoid bloodshed and impose fines on those responsible. For example, in order to prevent blood feud for injuries or stabbing, the perpetrator can pay 100 thousand euros, and for the murder - up to 1 million euros ^{[4] [5] [36] [29] [37]} .

In Arab clans, it is considered the norm to serve a sentence in prison; a status of a member of a criminal hierarchy is automatically increased in a released member of the clan. While a clan member is in prison, his accomplices are free to fully provide for his family, and when he is released they are presented with “lifts”. They try to enter into marriages either within the clan, or with representatives of another clan to create an alliance (often, by decision of the elders, brides are brought from Lebanon or Turkey) ^[30] .

The most influential are the clans of Lebanese Kurds and Palestinians - Abu Shaker , , , , Omeirat, Fahro and Osman ^{[38] [39] [40]} .

Abu Shaker

The most influential Berlin family is the Palestinian clan Abu Shaker, led by Nasser Abu Shaker and his brothers Ali, Arafat, Rommel, Mohammed and Yasser. The parents of the Abu Shaker brothers were born in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Lebanese Bekaa Valley , and moved to Germany in the mid-1970s. The clan has up to 300 members and has branches in Lebanon and Copenhagen . The members of the Abu Shaker clan are engaged in racketeering of shops, cafes and brothels, thefts and robberies, knocking out "debts", control the street drug trade and prostitution, as well as engage in arms trafficking and money laundering ^{[41] [38] [42] [43]} .

The Abu Shaker clan controls part of Neukölln, Kurfürstenstrasse in Schöneberg and the red light district on Oranienburger Strasse in Mitte . In July 2009, police arrested Nasser Abu-Shaker in his apartment in Neukölln on charges of pimping and human trafficking. ^[44] In March 2010, the people of Mohammed Abu Shaker (Momo) robbed a poker tournament of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Berlin for 240 thousand euros, for which Momo was later sentenced to seven years ^{[45] [46]} .

In the spring of 2018, a conflict arose between the famous rapper Bushido and his former partner Arafat Abu Shaker (for some time they were jointly engaged in the music business and real estate). Fearing for his life, Bushido became close to the leader of another powerful clan, Ashraf Remmo. In June 2018, unidentified persons fired on Arafat's restaurant “Papa Ari” in Neukölln. Soon, Berlin police raided members of the Remmo clan and arrested 77 properties belonging to this family. In the fall of 2018, the authority of Nidal Rabi, who worked for the Abu Shaker brothers ^{[47] [39] [48] [49],} was shot dead in Berlin.

Al Zane

Clan Al-Zane (Al-Zane) is influential in Berlin (especially in the areas of Neukölln and Charlottenburg ), the Ruhr region (mainly in Essen and Duisburg ), Düsseldorf , has connections among the Lebanese in the Middle East and South America. The clan’s backbone is made up of Arabic-speaking Kurds, whose roots extend from southeastern Anatolia (initially they fled from Mardin to Beirut , and from there to Germany in the 1970s and 1980s). Clan members trade in illegal drugs (channels from the Netherlands and Lebanon), prescription drugs and cigarettes, “sheltering” small and medium-sized businesses, robberies, shoplifting and lodging, debt collection, fraud, money laundering, control prostitution and night clubs around Stuttgart Square -platz, used car dealerships, bars, hookahs, restaurants, gambling salons and sports betting centers, rent apartments for refugees ^{[39] [50] [51]} .

In 2005, the leader of the clan, Mahmoud Al-Zane, nicknamed the “President”, was arrested in Berlin (he was later sentenced to four years for drug trafficking, after serving his term due to police pressure, he moved with his family from Berlin to North Rhine-Westphalia ). In January 2007, five members of the Al-Zayn family were detained in Dusseldorf, who extorted money from fellow countrymen for "protection." In December 2014, on Christmas Eve, members of the Al-Zane clan robbed a jewelry store in the KaDeWe department store in Berlin for over 800 thousand euros ^{[39] [50]} . In April 2016, during a large-scale special operation, police arrested eight members of the Al Zayn clan in the Neukölln area who were accused of robbery, possession of weapons and involvement in planning the murder ^{[52] [53] [54] [55]} .

In December 2017, the authority of Zaki Al-Zane was convicted for almost seven years, convicted by the court of incitement to murder and organizing the robbery of KaDeWe (previously his sons Jehad and Hamza Al-Zane were convicted of direct participation in the robbery). In fact, after the departure of Mahmoud Al-Zayn, it was Zaki Al-Zane and his cousin Adnan who led the Berlin wing of the clan. They had a share of all criminal operations and gave orders to eliminate the “culprits” ^{[56] [57] [58]} .

As of 2018, the most authoritative member of the clan was Jamal Al-Zane, who acted as a “judge” during the resolution of conflicts and disputes ^{[26] [59]} .

Remmo

The Berlin clan Remmo (Rammo) has more than 500 people, headed by the brothers Issa and Ashraf Remmo (in total, Issa has 15 brothers and sisters, as well as 13 children). The clan’s backbone is composed of Arabic-speaking Kurds with mahallas , whose ancestors fled from Mardin, first to Lebanon, and then from there to West Germany. Members of the clan extort money from entrepreneurs for “protection”, knocking out debts, robberies, car thefts, car thefts, retailing drugs, they launder “dirty money” by investing in residential and commercial real estate in Germany and Lebanon, and they also have extensive connections in the music world (the famous German rappers Bushido and Massiv are close to the Remmo family). The top of the Remmo clan controls nightclubs, hookah ("shisha bars"), shops, snack bars, car dealerships and car repair shops formally recorded with relatives, neighbors or mistresses in the areas of Neukölln , Brits , Bukkov , Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf . In addition, Issa Remmo owned the hotel on the Baltic coast of Poland ^{[60] [16] [12] [30] [61] [62]} .

In 1992, two brothers from the Remmo family shot and killed a native of Yugoslavia who owned a restaurant in Schöneberg and seriously injured another man. During the search, police found heroin and Lebanese birth certificate forms in the brothers ’apartment. In December 2008, the brothers Ibrahim and Bilal Remmo, known to the Berlin police as repeat robbers, died in a car accident. They robbed a pharmacy, but during a police chase at speed, they crashed into a tree and died on the spot. The Remmo brothers were buried in the Muslim cemetery of the Shekhitlik mosque, and numerous gangsters from Neukölln, Schöneberg and Wedding attended the farewell ceremony ^{[30] [63]} .

In October 2014, several members of the clan, led by Tofig Remmo, Issa's brother, robbed a savings bank in the Mariendorf district of Berlin, stealing over 9 million euros. To cover the tracks, the robbers set fire to the compartment, which led to an explosion. Soon, the criminals were detained, including in Italy, but the money disappeared (according to the police, the brother of one of the robbers using stolen money bought several apartments and land in Berlin and the surrounding area). In March 2017, members of the clan, including three nephews of Issa Remmo, robbed the Coin Office of the Bode Museum , taking away a 100-kilogram gold coin worth 3.7 million euros ^{[60] [30] [64] [65]} . In May 2017, in the Britz region, Ismail Remmo beat a man with a bat who dared to demand his father Issa Remmo to return his old debt. Issa's other son, Yusuf Remmo, was arrested for a series of robberies of trucks that transported furniture, mattresses and electronics ^[30] .

In the spring of 2018, the famous rapper Bushido left the wing of the authority of Arafat Abu Shaker under the auspices of Ashraf Remmo, which aggravated the situation in the criminal world of Berlin ^{[66] [67]} . In July 2018, the Berlin police arrested 77 real estate owned by the Remmo clan (apartments, houses and land in Berlin and Brandenburg for a total of 9.3 million euros). Among the arrested objects was a magnificent mansion of the clan leader Issa Remmo, located in the Bukki region. In addition, 16 members of the clan were charged with money laundering ^{[60] [12] [68] [69] [70] [71] [72]} . In August 2018, police raided three Berlin apartments, including the apartment of Ashraf Remmo, who was suspected of involvement in the attack on Arafat Abu Shaker’s restaurant ^{[73] [74]} .

Also in August 2018, the police carried out a new raid on members of the Remmo clan suspected of drug trafficking. In the regions of Tiergarten and Kreuzberg , the brothers Ibrahim and Ali Remmo were detained, from whom cocaine and marijuana were seized ^{[75] [76]} . In October 2018, members of the Remmo clan threw a hand grenade into the window of the Fish House restaurant. The institution belonged to rivals Remmo from another Arab clan. On suspicion of having committed this crime, the police arrested two people ^[77] .

In January 2019, a trial began in Berlin over siblings Ahmed and Vaichi Remmo, and their cousin Wissam Remmo, who stole a gold coin from the Bode Museum ^[78] .

Miri

The Lebanese clan of Miri is influential in the Neukölln district of Berlin (especially in the blocks along the Sun Alley ), as well as in Bremen , Hanover , Essen and Dortmund (in addition, there are family cells in many German prisons). The clan’s backbone is made up of Arabic-speaking Kurds with mahallas from the Savur region, who fled through Germany to Lebanon. In fact, the Berlin branch is subordinate to the bosses from Bremen, where about 3 thousand members of the Miri clan live. Representatives of the Miri clan trade in drug trafficking (especially cocaine and marijuana), prescription drugs and weapons, robberies, extortion of “protection” fees, fraud, control prostitution and night clubs, intimidate witnesses and kill “objectionable” people. Clan members invest money obtained through criminal means in cafes, shops, hotels and gas stations, part of the proceeds are transferred to relatives in Turkey and Lebanon ^{[26] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83]} .

Members of the Miri clan have strong criminal traditions. From childhood, the boys are taught that the main thing is to obey the orders of the senior members of the clan and ignore the representatives of the German authorities that all enemies are around and you can only rely on the clan, that all non-Muslims must be despised, that the Germans are “booty” and force can be used against them . Already in schools, Miri clans are extorting cell phones, jewelry and branded clothes from classmates. Clan members are actively involved in older boys in drug trafficking, assaults and robberies. An example for adolescents is their fathers, uncles and older brothers who, without education, earn a lot of money through crime. Worst of all, teens who do not have German citizenship integrate ^{[82] [84]} .

Omeirat

The Omeirat clan consists of Arabic-speaking Kurds from Turkey who fled to Germany through Lebanon. The clan is influential in Berlin (Neukölln) and the Ruhr region ( Or-Erkenschwik , Recklinghausen ). Clan members trade in drug trafficking, extortion, robbery and theft, own nightclubs, hookah shops, shops and cafes ^[26] .

Representatives of the Arab clans maintain friendly or business relations with many celebrities in Germany, especially rappers, fighters of mixed martial arts and boxers (acting as their managers, promoters and security guards). Many famous German rappers, such as Bushido , Kay One , Veysel , Massiv , Dapharao and Azizz21 , are closely associated with the Arab clans of Berlin. Artists often appear with gangsters at various musical events, shoot them in their video clips, and sometimes even mention real names of criminal authorities in their songs ^{[26] [85] [86] [87] [88] [89] [90] [91 ]} .

The daily life and criminal activity of the Arab mafia in Berlin is depicted in the popular German television series . The first season of the series was released in 2017, the second season - in 2018 ^[92] .

• Beate Krafft-Schöning. Blutsbande: Wie aus einer arabischen Großfamilie in Deutschland der berüchtigte "Miri-Clan" wurde. Eine Insiderin berichtet. - Riva Verlag, 2013 .-- ISBN 9783864133725 .
• Stefan Schubert. Gangland Deutschland: Wie kriminelle Banden unser Land bedrohen. - Riva Verlag, 2014 .-- ISBN 9783864133992 .
• Ralph Ghadban. Arabische Clans: Die unterschätzte Gefahr. - Ullstein eBooks, 2018 .-- ISBN 9783843717977 .

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