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Ridouan Taghi (born 20 December 1977)[1] is a Moroccan-Dutch criminal who became a prime suspect in at least ten murders related to organised crime, drug trafficking and leading a criminal organisation.[2][3] On February 27, 2024, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.[4]

Key Information

Until his late 2019 arrest in Dubai, Taghi was the most wanted criminal in the Netherlands with a record-breaking reward of €100,000.[1][5] In 2022 he was held at Nieuw Vosseveld, a maximum security prison in Vught and the main suspect in the Marengo trial.

Youth

[edit]

Taghi was born in 1977 in the north of Morocco. In 1980 he moved to Vianen in the Netherlands with his parents, his older brother and two sisters. While in the Netherlands, another six sisters and one brother were born.[6]

In the early 1990s he joined the youth gang Bad Boys. The Bad Boys were active in the Amsterdamsestraatweg in Utrecht and the mall Cityplaza in Nieuwegein.[7] In 1992, Taghi was first sentenced for, among other things, burglaries and possession of weapons. At age 17, Taghi quit his VWO-education in Nieuwegein.[6][7]

For a while he ran a grillroom in the Amsterdamsestraatweg in Utrecht. In 2009, he deregistered from the Dutch population administration.[6]

Assassinations

[edit]

Despite earlier convictions, Taghi remained out of the police's sight. The first time he came to notice again was in 2013, when the Spanish police linked him to the assassination of Mohammed Abdellaoui the same year.[8][9] At that time, he was also seen as a major cocaine dealer.[9] Starting in 2013, the Team Criminal Intelligence and Financial Intelligence Unit from the Dutch police received tips about Taghi.[7]

The tipping point was when in June 2015 drug trafficker Ebrahim Buzhu reported Taghi and his suspected right hand man Saïd Razzouki to the Dutch police. Buzhu claimed he was on Taghi's hitlist after he helped abduct a coffeeshop owner in 2009, with whom Taghi was friends.[10][11] Buzhu was found dead near Cádiz in January 2022.[11]

On 20 January 2014, there was an unsuccessful attempt to kill criminal Samir Jabli in Amersfoort. Instead, a student was killed. On 1 December 2014 Jabli was killed in another attempt on his life.[1] Witness Nabil B. has alleged that Taghi was involved in this murder, but the Prosecution left it out of the trial due to lack of evidence.[12] In August 2021, de Telegraaf reported that the police found Taghi's DNA on bullets used in Jabli's assassination.[13]

According to the Prosecution, Taghi ordered the assassination of spyshop employee Ronald Bakker in September 2015 in Huizen. Bakker was ordered by the police to hand over information about his clients, which included Taghi's organisation. The Prosecution assumed this is why Taghi ordered the assassination.[14] There were also plans to shoot the spyshop with a bazooka, but the suspects were arrested beforehand.

Abderrahim Belhadj was killed on 9 May 2016. According to the Prosecution, Taghi ordered this because Belhadj had stolen two blocks of cocaine.[15]

On 22 June 2016, criminal Samir Erraghib was assassinated in IJsselstein. According to the Prosecution, Taghi ordered this assassination because Erraghib had talked about him to the police.

According to the Prosecution, Taghi and Razzouki went looking for Buzhu after he had delivered incriminating statements to the police. When they could not find Buzhu, they targeted a friend of Buzhu, Ranko Scekic. Scekic was killed on 22 June 2016, a few days before he was scheduled to be heard as a witness in a criminal case against Taghi's organisation.[16]

Crimeblogger Martin Kok who was killed in 2016.

In June 2016, former criminal turned crimeblogger Martin Kok published on his website Vlinderscrime about two henchmen of Taghi. According to the Prosecution, this made him a target of Taghi. The first attempt was in July 2016, when they had placed a bomb under his car. This failed, because Kok found the bomb before detonation. Kok continued publishing, including a piece on 12 September the same year about Taghi, Richard R. and Naoufal F.. This led to another attempt in Amsterdam-Zuid on 8 December 2016. This attempt failed again, because the weapon faltered without Kok noticing the shooter. The same night Kok was assassinated in Laren.

On the night of 5 December 2016, criminal Khalid B. was the target of two or three armed men who entered his house in Rotterdam. Khalid B. managed to escape. The Dutch Prosecuction argues that Taghi is behind this, because Khalid B. and his brother wanted revenge for the murder of Samir Erraghib.[17]

On 12 January 2017, an attempted assassination of Khalid H. took place, which was ordered by Taghi according to the Prosecution. This attempt failed and instead got flatmate Hakim Changachi killed. Two days later, there was another attempt, but Khalid H. managed to escape. One person involved in the attempt that got Changachi killed, was Nabil B., a friend of Changachi's family. This got Nabil B. into trouble with the family and the Taghi group. This led to Nabil B. turning himself over to the police and eventually becoming a crown witness in the Marengo trial against Taghi and his group.

According to the Prosecution, Taghi had ordered three assassinations in 2017 through the motorclub Caloh Wagoh [nl]; Justin Jap Tjong on 31 January 2017, Farid Souhali on 17 April 2017 and Jaïr Wessels on 7 July 2017.

Since the beginning of 2016, Taghi was in a conflict with criminal Mustapha F.. In November 2017, there was an attempt to assassinate F. in Marrakesh. However, this attempt failed and instead a son of a Moroccan judge was killed.[18] Two shooters and a brother of Taghi have been sentenced for this murder.[19] Additionally, in October 2021 a nephew of Taghi was arrested for his involvement.[18]

[edit]

On 23 March 2018, the Dutch Prosecution announced that Nabil B. had testified against Taghi and his group. Five days later, two attempts to assassinate B.'s brother Reduan failed. However, a day later, on 29 March 2018, Reduan B. was killed. Taghi has not been charged for this murder, but Reduan B.'s death has been linked to the announcement of Nabil B.'s testimony.[citation needed]

Derk Wiersum

[edit]
Main article: Murder of Derk Wiersum

In September 2019 the lawyer of Nabil B., Derk Wiersum, was killed at his home. This was seen as a further escalation and an "attack on the rule of law". Taghi has not been charged with this murder, but media and Prosecution assume Taghi is behind the assassination. The two main perpetrators of the murder are also suspected of two murders in Suriname in 2019. The two victims were part of Mustapha F.'s group and the Dutch Prosecution thus believes these murders were also ordered by Taghi's group.[20] Furthermore, two nephews of Taghi are suspected of involvement in Wiersums assassination.[21]

Peter R. de Vries

[edit]
Main article: Killing of Peter R. de Vries

In July 2021, Peter R. de Vries was killed in Amsterdam. He was a crime reporter, and was a confidant of Nabil B. in the Marengo trial. Back in 2019, the Dutch Prosecution had informed De Vries that he was on Taghi's hit list. Taghi denied this in 2019[22] and Taghi, who was at that time in prison, has denied any involvement in the murder.[23] Arrested suspects have however been linked to the group around Taghi. And a witness has testified that Taghi had given the assignment to kill De Vries back in April 2019.[citation needed]

Network

[edit]

Documents produced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States, and sent to the Dutch police, exposed what appeared to be a large drug network headed by Ridouan Taghi, Raffaele Imperiale (Camorra's drugs and arms dealer), Daniel Kinahan (Irish reputed gang boss) and Edin Gačanin (Bosnian drug trafficker). The DEA regards this as one of the largest drug cartels in the world, with virtually a monopoly over Peruvian cocaine, controlling around a third of the total European cocaine trade. According to the DEA documents, the drugs are all shipped to ports in the Netherlands.[24][25][26]

Arrest

[edit]

Taghi managed to evade capture by constantly altering his appearance and using false passports and visas.[27] He was arrested in Dubai on 16 December 2019. As the Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates, Taghi was deported three days after his arrest; based on him being declared a persona non grata by the government, as he had entered the UAE under a false identity.

Criminal cases

[edit]

Marengo trial

[edit]
Main article: Marengo trial

In July 2019, the Marengo trial against seventeen suspects, with Taghi as main suspects, started. Taghi's lawyer in this case was Inez Weski, until her arrest on 21 April 2023. The Marengo trial is held in the high-security courtroom, De Bunker.

The Dutch Prosecution has asked for a life sentence for Taghi in the trial.

Detention

[edit]

He is being held at Nieuw Vosseveld in Vught.[28][29]

Despite strict measures, Taghi managed to stay in contact with the outside world. On 15 December 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation notified the Dutch police that Taghi had been able to communicate physically and electronically with the outside world through one or more bribed prison guards.[30] In December 2020, Taghi's nephew and lawyer Youssef Taghi applied for access to Taghi in his prison. This was first rejected, because there was an investigation into abuse of attorney–client privilege between Youssef and another nephew of Taghi. When in March 2021 the investigation concluded that no abuse was found, Youssef was allowed in.[31] In February 2021, the Dutch police started an investigation into ways in which Taghi was able to communicate with the outside world.[32] On 23 July 2021, after the murder of De Vries, the police received permission from the judge to place listening devices when Youssef and Ridouan Taghi met in the prison, followed by cameras in September. This investigation showed that Youssef communicated messages between Ridouan Taghi and his family. Among other things, they discussed breakout attempts and the molesting of an ex-brother-in-law of Ridouan Taghi. On 8 October 2021, Youssef was arrested while visiting Taghi in prison. Youssef Taghi was convicted for membership of a criminal organisation, planning a breakout attempt and involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering.

Prosecution continued investigating other ways Taghi could have communicated outside the prison, because the FBI reported that Taghi was able to communicate before Youssef Taghi had gained access. In the summer of 2022, the police decrypted additional messages from SkyECC. Messages between family members suggested that Taghi's lawyer Inez Weski was used for communication. On 21 April 2023, Weski was arrested on suspicion of membership of a criminal organisation and violating confidentiality.[33]

At the EBI, Taghi met Mohammed Bouyeri, with whom he developed a close bond. Concerns about this relationship was cause for Bouyeri's transfer to another prison. Taghi and Bouyeri continued writing each other letters, mostly consisting of Quran verses.[34] Gökmen Tanis, perpetrator of the Utrecht tram shooting, also sent at least one letter to Taghi. Some of the letters have been rejected by the prison, because they feared that the Quran verses used by them contained hidden messages.[35]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Ridouan Taghi

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Ridouan Taghi (born 22 December 1977) is a Moroccan-Dutch criminal who directed the Mocro Maffia, a violent syndicate originating from Moroccan immigrant communities in the , focused on importing massive quantities of from through ports like and for distribution across . Taghi's organization employed a "well-oiled " to eliminate rivals, informants, and perceived threats, with the Dutch court attributing to him responsibility for at least five murders between 2015 and 2017, including those of a , a crime blogger, and innocent bystanders caught in . After evading capture for years despite topping most-wanted lists from and , Taghi was arrested in in December 2019 and extradited to the . In the —one of the largest and most secure in Dutch history—Taghi was convicted in February 2024 as the "undisputed leader" of a murder organization, receiving a life sentence alongside two accomplices for orchestrating the killings, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses, though acquitted on one murder charge. The proceedings highlighted the syndicate's global reach and brutality, with Taghi's operations contributing to escalating gang violence in the that prompted unprecedented security measures, including a purpose-built "bunker" .

Early Life

Immigration and Upbringing in the Netherlands

Ridouan Taghi was born on December 20, 1977, in Morocco. He immigrated to the Netherlands with his family as a young child, during a period when many Moroccan families relocated for economic opportunities amid the country's guest worker programs initiated in the 1960s and continuing into subsequent decades. Taghi grew up in Vianen, a town near Utrecht in the central Netherlands, as one of ten children in his household. The family settled in the Utrecht province, where Taghi acquired Dutch citizenship and spent his formative years in a working-class immigrant community shaped by large-scale Moroccan migration patterns. Specific details on his parents' professions or the exact year of relocation are not publicly documented in investigative records, though his early life aligned with broader trends of family reunification following initial labor migrations.

Initial Entry into Crime

Taghi's initial foray into criminality began during his teenage years in the , where he joined a youth gang in and started selling on the street. His first recorded arrest occurred in 1992, at age 15, for and weapons possession, marking an early involvement in petty theft and arms-related offenses typical of in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods. By the mid-1990s, Taghi had escalated from street-level dealing to organizing wholesale imports of from , leveraging family and community ties across the to establish a rudimentary . This progression reflected a pattern among second-generation Moroccan-Dutch youth, who capitalized on established routes from amid rising European demand, though Taghi's operations remained small-scale compared to his later dominance. Court records from subsequent convictions indicate no major drug-related arrests in this period, suggesting he evaded detection while building connections that foreshadowed organized trafficking networks.

Criminal Organization and Operations

Leadership in the Mocro Maffia

Ridouan Taghi served as the undisputed leader of the Mocro Maffia, a Dutch-based criminal primarily composed of individuals from Moroccan immigrant backgrounds, though including members from diverse origins such as , Dutch-Antilleans, and Poles. Under his direction, the organization dominated importation into , controlling up to one-third of the market through strategic control of ports like and . The Mocro Maffia's structure relied on clans bound by familial or regional ties, with Taghi heading the most powerful faction, which incorporated specialized roles including gunmen, drivers, and infiltrated officials. His network formed part of a broader "super-cartel" with alliances to international groups such as the Italian , Irish Mob, and Bosnian mafia, enabling operations across five continents. Taghi maintained authority through systematic violence, ordering at least 20 murders between 2015 and 2017 to neutralize rivals, debtors, and potential informants, employing tactics like spotters for and precise execution. This approach of extended to silencing families of victims and persisted post-arrest via bribed prison guards and lawyers, underscoring his centralized command. Judicial recognition of Taghi's leadership culminated in the , where he was convicted on February 27, 2024, of six murders and three attempted murders, receiving a life sentence that highlighted his orchestration of the syndicate's lethal operations.

Drug Trafficking and Financial Empire

Taghi rose to prominence in the mid-2000s as a key operator in the Mocro Maffia, a loose network of Dutch-Moroccan criminals specializing in importation from to . Around 2006, he adapted established smuggling routes originating from —initially linking to and the —to transport , displacing Colombian suppliers and Italian groups like the in the process. The primary entry points were the ports of , , and , , where the organization infiltrated logistics networks to conceal multi-ton shipments hidden in containers of legal goods such as fruit or scrap metal. Under Taghi's leadership, the Mocro Maffia reportedly dominated up to one-third of the European market, positioning him as one of the continent's principal importers prior to his December 2019 arrest. Operations relied on compartmentalized cells for procurement in producer countries, via corrupted port insiders, and distribution through encrypted communications and disposable couriers, minimizing direct exposure for upper echelons like Taghi, who coordinated from bases including . This structure enabled the handling of shipments valued in hundreds of millions of euros annually, fueling internal conflicts with rival networks over port access and market share. The financial empire derived from these activities amassed an estimated fortune exceeding 100 million euros for Taghi, channeled through layered laundering schemes to obscure origins. Methods included renting properties explicitly for processing cash, such as a apartment secured in 2019 at €4,300 monthly to facilitate Dutch operations linked to Taghi. Broader network tactics encompassed reinvestment in Antwerp's and jewelry sectors for asset conversion, alongside acquisitions and offshore transfers via UAE hubs, though Taghi's personal assets were largely intangible and shielded through associates until post-arrest seizures. These proceeds not only sustained operational expansion but also funded enforcers and legal defenses, underscoring the syndicate's self-perpetuating .

Structure and International Reach

The Mocro Maffia, the criminal network led by Ridouan Taghi, operates as a loose confederation of clans primarily composed of individuals of Moroccan-Dutch origin, rather than a rigidly hierarchical syndicate like traditional Italian mafias. Taghi headed one of the most dominant clans, structured around familial and regional loyalties from Morocco's Rif region, with key lieutenants such as Saïd Razzouki handling operational coordination. This decentralized model allows flexibility in evading law enforcement, relying on encrypted communications like PGP messages and a code of silence enforced through targeted violence, while avoiding overt formal titles to minimize traceability. Taghi's organization specializes in large-scale cocaine importation, sourcing bulk shipments from Latin American cartels—particularly Colombian suppliers—and routing them through major European ports. The in serves as a primary entry point, where corrupt insiders facilitate unloading of multi-ton consignments hidden in fruit shipments or container modifications, supplemented by the nearby in the . Distribution extends inland via road networks to , where the group has expanded operations since around 2020, establishing stash houses and recruitment among immigrant communities amid rising violence in cities like and . Beyond Europe, the network maintains logistical footholds in for hashish precursor operations and transshipment of , leveraging cross-border family ties to coordinate with local traffickers. Safe havens in the , particularly , provided operational bases for Taghi and associates until his 2019 arrest, enabling through and luxury assets while directing European activities remotely. Collaborations with Gulf-based networks further extend financial flows, though enforcement actions like Operation Desert Light in 2022 disrupted some UAE-linked cells tied to Taghi's allies. This global span underscores the organization's adaptability, prioritizing port corruption and ethnic recruitment over territorial monopoly.

Alleged Involvement in Violence

Pattern of Assassinations and Intimidation

The criminal led by Ridouan Taghi, known as the Mocro Maffia, systematically employed assassinations and to eliminate rivals, suspected informants, and individuals connected to investigations or trials against it, creating a climate of fear that deterred cooperation with authorities. This pattern, described by Dutch courts as the work of a " organization" where Taghi "decided who would be killed and spared no one," involved at least six confirmed murders and four attempted murders between 2014 and 2019, primarily targeting those perceived as threats to the group's cocaine trafficking operations. The violence escalated in response to state witness testimony, with killings extending to family members, lawyers, and advisors to silence potential leaks and maintain operational secrecy. Key assassinations included the 2017 murder of Redouan Bakkali, brother of key state witness Nabil B., who had provided evidence against Taghi in the ; Bakkali was gunned down in a parking garage in on July 1, 2017, as apparent retaliation for his sibling's cooperation. Similarly, lawyer Derk Wiersum, representing Nabil B., was shot dead outside his home on September 18, 2019, in a professional hit that prosecutors linked directly to Taghi's orders to intimidate legal participants. Other victims encompassed suspected informants like Ronald Bakker and Samuel Erraghib, killed for allegedly passing information to authorities, underscoring the group's tactic of preemptively eliminating perceived betrayers to enforce loyalty. Intimidation extended beyond executions to aborted attempts and broader threats, such as the four failed murders prosecuted in the Marengo case, which targeted additional rivals and witnesses to amplify deterrence. The pattern shocked the , prompting enhanced security for judicial figures and highlighting how the Mocro Maffia's "well-oiled " used violence not only for retribution but as a strategic tool to protect a multi-billion-euro empire spanning and . This approach, rooted in zero-tolerance for disloyalty, resulted in convictions for Taghi as the undisputed architect, with courts noting the profound suffering inflicted on victims' families and the erosion of in state protection.

Key Incidents Linked to Taghi

Taghi was convicted in the of ordering five murders between 2015 and 2016, targeting individuals suspected of informing authorities or posing threats to his operations, as part of a broader pattern of eliminating rivals and potential witnesses. The court described these acts as executed by a "well-oiled killing machine" under Taghi's direction, with victims often shot at in their vehicles or near homes. The first convicted murder involved Ronald Bakker, a 59-year-old employee at a store specializing in espionage and counter-surveillance equipment frequented by Taghi's group; Bakker was killed in September 2015 near his home after Taghi believed he had cooperated with police. Another was Samir Erraghib, shot in April 2016 while sitting in his car with his young daughter in , due to his alleged disclosures about Taghi to investigators. Taghi was acquitted of ordering the December 8, 2016, shooting of crime blogger outside a Laren , where Kok was hit eight times after publishing exposés naming Taghi, though the court acknowledged connections to his organization. Beyond the Marengo convictions, Taghi has been strongly linked to retaliatory killings tied to the trial's crown witness, Nabil B. Derk Wiersum, Nabil B.'s lawyer, was assassinated on September 18, 2019, outside his office in a professional hit involving multiple vehicles; investigators identified Taghi as the for ordering it as punishment for Nabil B.'s cooperation. Taghi's nephew, Anouar Taghi, received a 26-year sentence in 2024 for leading preparations in a related plot against lawyers. The July 6, 2021, shooting of investigative journalist in —after a meeting concerning Nabil B.—further exemplified the intimidation campaign, with perpetrators convicted in 2024 for ties to Mocro Maffia elements under Taghi's influence, though no direct order from Taghi was proven in court. These incidents, spanning informants, bloggers, and legal figures, underscored Taghi's use of violence to maintain control and deter cooperation with authorities.

Evidence and Investigative Challenges

The primary evidence against Ridouan Taghi in the consisted of statements from crown witness Nabil B., a former associate who detailed the organization's internal operations, including Taghi's alleged role in ordering assassinations. Nabil B. received a reduced 10-year sentence for his cooperation, having been implicated in prior crimes, which defense attorneys contested as incentivizing unreliable testimony. Additional corroboration came from decrypted communications, including over 3.6 million encrypted PGP messages intercepted from servers in 2016, which prosecutors interpreted as containing coded orders for violence attributable to Taghi via contextual links like nicknames and operational references. Investigators faced significant hurdles due to the Mocro Maffia's use of encrypted platforms, requiring extensive decryption efforts and forensic to attribute messages to Taghi, whose direct authorship was often indirect or inferred rather than explicit. Defense challenges to the legality of these intercepts, arguing potential violations in foreign server seizures, were ultimately rejected by the , though they prolonged proceedings. The 100,000-page dossier's complexity, spanning multiple jurisdictions and involving Taghi's evasion to and the UAE, complicated attribution and timelines. Witness intimidation emerged as a core investigative barrier, exemplified by the 2018 murder of Nabil B.'s brother Reduan shortly after his cooperation began, followed by the 2019 killing of his lawyer Derk Wiersum and the 2021 assassination of journalist , who advised the . These incidents deterred other potential informants, with relatives of victims refusing to provide statements out of fear, limiting direct eyewitness accounts. The pattern contributed to a "dark edge" in , where three defense lawyers withdrew citing unmanageable risks, and subsequent arrests of Taghi's counsel on leak suspicions further eroded procedural trust. Despite these obstacles, the evidence's cumulative weight—witness details cross-referenced with communications—sufficed for Taghi's February 2024 life sentence, though appeals continue to probe interpretive gaps in message decoding and witness motives.

Arrest and Extradition

Pursuit and Capture in Dubai

Ridouan Taghi, facing intensifying scrutiny from Dutch authorities amid investigations into multiple murders and drug trafficking, relocated to around 2016 using false identities and resided there with his family in a luxury villa, rarely venturing out. An international was issued against him in 2018 by Dutch prosecutors, who designated him the ' most wanted fugitive and offered a €100,000 reward for tips leading to his apprehension; he was also listed on Interpol's wanted roster. Dutch police deployed a specialized team of about 100 investigators from the , operating continuously to track leads on Taghi's whereabouts through international cooperation. A pivotal development occurred in June 2019 when surveillance revealed that lawyers Nico Meijering and Leon van Kleef, suspected of ties to criminal figures, traveled from to following a tip-off about meetings with wanted individuals. This prompted a joint initiative with Dubai Police, who monitored the lawyers' contacts; instead of meeting Taghi directly, the attorneys engaged with his associate Khalid J., providing a crucial link to Taghi's hideout and enabling a subsequent 10-day stakeout. On December 16, 2019, Police executed a raid on Taghi's villa in coordination with Dutch authorities and , arresting the 41-year-old without major incident; reports indicated he appeared shocked by the operation. The capture marked the culmination of years-long efforts to dismantle the leadership of the so-called Mocro Maffia network, with Taghi's detention hailed by Dutch officials as vital to upholding the .

Extradition to the Netherlands

Ridouan Taghi was extradited from the to the on December 19, 2019, one day after his arrest in . Dutch authorities had issued an international for Taghi, who was suspected of leading a violent drug trafficking organization responsible for multiple murders and attempted killings. The followed a joint operation involving Dutch police and UAE authorities, with Taghi transported via chartered flight to Schiphol in . Upon arrival, he was immediately transferred to a high-security facility to await trial, marking a significant breakthrough in the ' efforts to dismantle the Mocro Maffia network. Moroccan authorities had also sought Taghi's for related crimes, but the ' request took precedence under international agreements. The swift handover highlighted improved cooperation between the UAE and European law enforcement on , despite Taghi's use of false documents to reside in since 2016. No formal appeals or delays were reported in the process, allowing Dutch prosecutors to proceed directly with the proceedings against him and co-defendants.

Prosecutions and Trials

The Marengo Trial

The Marengo trial prosecuted Ridouan Taghi and 16 co-defendants for their roles in a criminal organization, known as the Mocro-Maffia, accused of orchestrating drug trafficking and associated violence, including six murders and four attempted murders primarily targeting suspected informants between 2015 and 2017. The proceedings, which spanned nearly six years with 142 court sessions, relied on a case file exceeding 100,000 pages, including analysis of 3.6 million encrypted messages intercepted from servers like those of . Central to the prosecution's case was the testimony of crown witness Nabil B., a former associate of Taghi who provided insider details on the organization's structure and operations after entering a plea deal, receiving a reduced 10-year sentence for his cooperation. This evidence was corroborated by encrypted communications decrypted by authorities, which prosecutors argued demonstrated Taghi's directives for eliminations, though the defense contested the reliability of interpretations from such sources. Additional testimony came from Mohamed Bakkali, another cooperating figure, amid a broader evidentiary framework that included forensic analysis of hit operations involving spotters, tracking devices, and procurement of weapons. The trial was conducted in a fortified underground bunker at the court complex, equipped with armored transport, armed escorts, and aerial surveillance to counter intimidation risks, following the pre-trial murders of Taghi's 's client relative Reduan Bakkali in 2018 and defense disruptions including the 2019 of Nabil B.'s Derk Wiersum and the 2021 killing of his advisor . Proceedings faced repeated interruptions, such as the arrests of Taghi's Inez Weski in 2021 on charges of aiding the organization and of his brother Youssef Taghi for alleged , leading Taghi to briefly self-represent before new counsel was appointed. On February 27, 2024, the Amsterdam District Court convicted Taghi as the "undisputed leader" of a " organization," sentencing him to for complicity in five s, firearms offenses, and aggravated , while acquitting him of direct involvement in one killing. Co-defendants Saïd R. and Mario R. also received life terms for aiding s and attempts; the remaining 14 faced sentences ranging from 21 months to 29 years, with the court emphasizing the group's systematic approach to violence as a tool for maintaining control in the trade. In addition to the Marengo trial, Ridouan Taghi was subject to international arrest warrants issued by multiple jurisdictions, including , for alleged involvement in drug trafficking networks. These warrants stemmed from his suspected role in transnational operations linked to the Mocro Maffia, with Moroccan authorities seeking his on charges related to large-scale narcotics importation and distribution. Taghi's arrest in on December 16, 2019, by local authorities acting on Dutch and international warrants prioritized his extradition to the over competing requests from and other countries, as the Dutch charges encompassed of a violent criminal organization involving both murders and drug trafficking. No separate trials have proceeded in or , with Dutch prosecutors absorbing related evidence into the Marengo framework, where Taghi was also convicted of participating in a criminal group aimed at importation via ports like and . Prior to his prominence in major investigations, Taghi had accumulated earlier convictions in the for minor offenses, which did not initially flag him as a high-level threat to . These included relatively low-profile drug-related infractions that allowed him to evade deeper scrutiny until the escalation of Mocro Maffia violence in the mid-2010s.

Controversies in the Judicial Process

The faced repeated challenges from defense motions for judicial recusal, which significantly prolonged proceedings. In October 2020, the presiding judge stepped down following disputes with Taghi's legal team over procedural matters, necessitating replacement and contributing to delays in a case already complicated by high-security measures. Further recusal requests by defendants, including claims of bias in handling evidence from protected sources, extended the trial's duration beyond five years before its conclusion on February 27, 2024. Taghi's detention in the Extra Beveiligde Inrichting (EBI) at Vught involved stringent isolation protocols, limiting contact to brief, monitored meetings with counsel and prohibiting other communications, which his lawyers argued impaired preparation of his defense and violated fair trial standards under European human rights conventions. In 2019, attorney Inez Weski withdrew, citing inadequate access to her client as rendering effective representation impossible. Similar complaints persisted, with subsequent counsel asserting that these conditions hindered access to case files and strategy development, though prosecutors maintained the measures were essential to prevent ongoing intimidation from Taghi's network. The prosecution's reliance on crown witness Nabil B., who provided key testimony implicating Taghi after turning in 2018 following a failed attempt on him, drew over reliability and potential . B.'s statements formed the core narrative evidence, corroborated by telecommunications intercepts, but defense teams contested inconsistencies and alleged prosecutorial over-dependence on a single, incentivized source whose family members—including his brother Reduan Bakkali, killed on , 2018—and associates, such as lawyer Derk Wiersum (shot on September 18, 2019) and advisor (murdered July 6, 2021), fell victim to apparent reprisal killings. Critics, including legal observers, questioned the crown witness scheme's risks, citing false statements in prior deals and heightened dangers to participants, though the court deemed B. "reliable and trustworthy" based on partial corroboration. Intimidation extended to defense representation, with multiple attorneys withdrawing amid threats; by April 2025, Taghi's appeal counsel Vito Shukrula was arrested on unrelated criminal organization charges, prompting further resignations and leaving him without representation as of August 2025. In June 2025, a senior appellate requested to step down, citing unspecified personal grounds in the ongoing review of Taghi's life sentence, raising additional concerns about judicial continuity. These episodes underscored systemic tensions between security imperatives and defendants' in prosecuting high-threat figures.

Detention and Post-Conviction Developments

Conditions of Imprisonment

Ridouan Taghi has been detained in the Extra Beveiligde Inrichting (), the ' highest-security prison facility located in , since December 2019. The regime imposes stringent restrictions compared to standard prisons, including limited human contact, constant , and controlled interactions to mitigate risks of escape, violence, or external criminal coordination, justified by authorities due to Taghi's history of alleged orchestration of threats and murders from custody. Taghi's initial placement involved near-total isolation, with detainees permitted out of their cells only after demonstrating compliance in areas such as behavioral control, information sharing, and risk reduction—criteria he reportedly struggled to meet consistently. Visits, limited to once weekly, occur behind glass with pre-screened individuals, and phone calls are similarly restricted to vetted contacts. In June 2023, his lawyers argued that the regime was designed to inflict "maximum suffering," citing prolonged as psychologically damaging. By late July 2024, Taghi was transferred within the to a less restrictive department housing other high-profile inmates, such as co-defendants, though physical separation via glass partitions was maintained to prevent direct communication. This adjustment, partly to accommodate incoming prisoners like his son Faissal Taghi, lasted briefly; by early September 2024, he was returned to solitary housing following unspecified security concerns. In October 2024, Taghi initiated a protesting what his described as "inhumane and disproportionate" solitary conditions, asserting he did not warrant placement given his life sentence. Legal challenges to his detention conditions have yielded mixed outcomes. In 2020, Taghi appealed the extension of his confinement, which was upheld by the justice minister. He received €2,420 in compensation in early 2025 for unduly restrictive measures during prior custody, though broader regime complaints persist. A March 2025 request for visitation with his son Faissal was denied by prison authorities. Reports indicate Taghi occupies a dedicated wing, potentially customized for his case, underscoring the exceptional security protocols.

Appeals, Witness Issues, and Recent Events

Following his conviction on February 27, 2024, for orchestrating six murders and other crimes as the leader of a in the , Ridouan Taghi filed an appeal against the life sentence and murder convictions on March 11, 2024. The appeal process has faced significant delays due to difficulties in securing legal representation, with three of Taghi's prior lawyers arrested on suspicions of facilitating unauthorized communications during . By April 2023, his lead counsel Inez Weski was detained, leaving him without representation. In August 2025, the Dutch Council of Deans issued a rare public call for a lawyer to represent Taghi in the appeal, highlighting the risks involved after multiple attorneys withdrew citing safety concerns. A scheduled hearing on September 2, 2025, risked postponement amid the unresolved search for counsel. Additionally, in June 2025, the presiding judge requested to step down from the appeal proceedings after defense motions questioned her impartiality, stemming from earlier trial concerns. Witness issues have been central to the case and appeal, particularly involving crown witness Nabil B., who turned state's evidence in 2018 after his arrest in January 2017 and provided testimony implicating Taghi in at least 13 murders. Retaliatory violence followed, including the 2019 murder of Nabil B.'s brother Reduan and the assassination of his lawyer Derk Wiersum outside his Amsterdam office, acts prosecutors linked to Taghi's network. Nabil B. served nearly eight years of a reduced sentence under his witness deal before an Amsterdam appeals court granted conditional release on September 9, 2025, citing time served. Security arrangements for Nabil B. post-release remain inadequate, raising concerns among prosecutors and trial participants about potential threats from Taghi's associates, as no comprehensive protection plan for him or his family had been finalized by early 2025. These issues underscore ongoing intimidation tactics that have compromised judicial proceedings, with defense arguments in the appeal likely to challenge witness reliability amid such violence. Recent events include the continued stalling of the due to representational voids and the judge's recusal request, potentially extending proceedings into late 2025. Nabil B.'s release has intensified debates over efficacy in high-stakes cases, with reports indicating unresolved risks despite the conviction's reliance on his testimony. No final ruling has been issued as of October 2025, maintaining Taghi's life sentence under .

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