The
penose concerns organised criminal groups with ties to the country of the
Netherlands itself. Due to immigration there are strong
Turkish,
Chinese,
Yugoslav,
Russian,
Albanian and
Italian communities in the Netherlands. Criminal outfits such as the
Turkish mafia,
Triads,
Serbian mafia,
Russian mafia,
Albanian mafia, and the
'Ndrangheta are not regarded as a part of the traditional
Penose, although they're an active part of the Dutch criminal underworld nonetheless. The reason why Surinamese, Antillean, Moroccan and Ambonese groups are considered to be a part of the
Penose is because their criminal groups were formed and based in the Netherlands, whereas the Turkish or Serb gangs are part of a criminal group based in their home country.
Dutch crime groups Indigenous organised crime based in some of The Netherlands' major cities, mainly
Amsterdam and
The Hague, mostly has origins in the traditional working-class quarters. These small groups mainly consist of local career criminals that band together for their involvement in organised criminal activities such as
extortion,
loan sharking,
prostitution and narcotics. Often these local criminals groups are strongly connected with, or in some cases even have an official membership to, outlaw motorcycle gangs such as the
Hells Angels. Another type of indigenous organised crime is mainly based in the
Flemish regions bordering the Netherlands, mainly located in the provinces of
Limburg and
Antwerp. The region is known to be one of the most important production areas for synthetic drugs such as
ecstasy. It is home to organised criminal gangs active in the production, transport and distribution of synthetic narcotics and marijuana, as well as in the importation of hashish and cocaine, controlled by both local
Flemish and
Dutch criminal entrepreneurs.
Moroccan crime groups Out of the
Netherlands' substantial Moroccan community also grew criminal gangs mostly involved in the trafficking of
marijuana. This is due to the ties of some families to their area of origin, the
Rif, which is a known hub of
marijuana/
hashish cultivating. Certain criminals have also progressed to the trafficking of
cocaine.
Armed robbery and
prostitution are known activities of the Dutch Moroccan groups as well, called the
Mocro Maffia.
Moluccan Kajahatan The word
kejahatan is Indonesian for 'committing crime' and has since become a synonym for
Moluccan organised crime. Due to the Netherlands' large Moluccan
Ambonese community
kejahatan groups also exist in the
Netherlands. Dutch
Ambonese gangsters are involved in
kidnapping,
armed robbery,
extortion and
drug trafficking, especially the growing and illegally distributing of
marijuana. An alleged criminal gang of
Ambonese origin is
Satudarah, a known
one-percenter motorcycle club. Ambonese gangsters have traditionally also assisted other criminal enterprises. Incidents with the so-called
Tattoo killers, a Moluccan/Ambonese gang specialised in
contract killing, have also been major news in the Dutch criminal underworld in recent years.
Afro-Dutch crime groups Criminal groups consisting of descendants of
Afro-Surinamese and
Afro-Curaçaoan immigrants exist in major cities in the
Netherlands. While some of said groups are involved in petty crimes, other Afro-Dutch crime groups have been responsible for the more sophisticated trafficking of
cocaine. Since both
Suriname and the
Netherlands Antilles are known transit zones for the drug trafficking from Colombia, Curaçaoan and Surinamese crime groups based in the Netherlands have also formed alliances with said Colombian groups and have committed
contract killings for them.
Prostitution,
hijacking and
ripdeals are known activities of
Afro-Surinamese and
Afro-Curaçaoan groups. Gang wars over turf have appeared from time to time. The Amsterdam district
Bijlmermeer for instance has been the scene of violence between two of its biggest gangs, the
Hopi Boys and the
Kloekhorststraat Gang. Aside from these Netherlands-originated groups, gangs that originated in the Caribbean have also been able to set up shop in the Netherlands. The
No Limit Soldiers gang, which originated in Curaçao, for instance now has bases in cities such as Rotterdam, where they're involved in gang violence and organised crime.
Crips in the Netherlands The Netherlands is the only country in Europe where the
Crips have a significant presence. In the major cities of
The Hague,
Rotterdam and
Amsterdam Crip-gangs were formed in the 80's. There are many Crip-gangs in the Netherlands but only 12 of them are regarded as a serious criminal organisation. The 12 criminal gangs are mostly composed of older adolescent males (in contrast to the majority of the street gangs which are composed of youths) who are involved in organised crime such as
drug trafficking,
arms trafficking,
prostitution,
contract killing and
extortion. The groups are mainly composed of
Dutch Antilleans (mainly
Afro-Curaçaoans) and
Afro-Surinamese people. == Notable Dutch gangsters ==