Justice announced Tuesday that at least 15 more arrests will follow in a massive case against the Albanian underworld. Six leading figures, however, have already been detained since May 21. Who are they?
Romeo G.
He is, as his lawyer Justin Luiten describes him, the odd man out. Romeo (30) was not a member of the biggest gang in this case, Haxhi's group. The Justice Department is the only one that does not suspect him of participating in a (criminal) organization. Also striking: Romeo has a Dutch partner. This Margarita P. is also a suspect in this file. She was heavily pregnant when she was arrested, has since returned home and has given birth to a healthy daughter.
The two allegedly rented three properties and ran hemp plantations there. The properties in question were in Geleen (983 plants), Maastricht (600) and Landgraaf (810). Romeo allegedly pretended to be Italian and used false identity documents with the names Bruno, Rossi and Vitale. He also allegedly used a false employer's statement.
Haxhi P.
Seems to be major leader of Albanian couple so far. Justice believes most suspects clustered around Haxhi (34). The father of two young children allegedly laundered an amount of over 212,000 euros, ran two hemp plantations (756 and 848 plants) in Geleen and had 140 grams of hemp in his possession when he was arrested on May 21. He also had a false ID in his pocket at the time: Haxhi pretended to be Greek, using the name Nikos.
Erion P.
Related to Haxhi and part of the same gang. Erion (39) allegedly operated hemp nurseries in Geleen (800 plants) and Limbricht (646 plants). He also allegedly placed hardware in a building in Stein to set up a nursery. According to his lawyer, Erion has a residence and license in Italy. He even allegedly has, or had, an honest job there.
Asteri L.
According to justice, belongs to Haxhi's clique and, like the two aforementioned Albanians, is said to be part of a criminal organization. Asteri (39) is also not the only member of his family to return in this case, but is the only family member still detained. He is allegedly responsible for two drug premises in Geleen (848 plants) and Stein (800) and also stole electricity for them.
Abdnbie B.
Was born in Maaseik, but his roots are in Morocco. With two others he headed Europrofex, the company that financed all the drug properties in this case. Abdnbie (40) and his companions are seen by the judiciary as a criminal organization. The trio is said to have laundered some 800,000 euros. Incidentally, the third person involved, Hejjoub D. (36), is no longer in pre-trial detention. According to lawyer Serge Weening, Abdnbie lives "very modestly," unlike mate Chihab.
Chihab A.
This 40-year-old Chihab is from Morocco's largest city, Casablanca, but speaks fluent Dutch. He has been living in Belgium for some time. According to investigators involved, he lives in "great luxury. Together with Abdnbie, he was in daily charge at Europrofex. According to Chihab, he knew nothing about connections to the Albanian underworld. "We took over the customer base of another company. This is a kind of legacy." 27 fake identity cards were found at the office. "But the officer does not say that four to five thousand identity cards were stored there."
