In the fight against Albanian drug criminals in Limburg, the judiciary has eavesdropped on telephone conversations for months. The content of those calls contributed to 16 arrests on May 21.

This is according to reliable information, held by L1. Sixteen people were arrested on May 21 in an extensive drug case. They were allegedly responsible for years of hemp trafficking in Geleen and its surroundings.Fake passports
The Geleen company Europrofex, run by 40-year-old men Abdnbie B. and Chihab A. and their female associate Hejjoub D. (36), is the linchpin in this case, according to the justice department. Through their company, these Moroccan Belgians paid the fixed costs of 87 properties in Geleen and its surroundings. These premises were mainly occupied by Albanians, who grew hemp on a large scale. The company also arranged false passports. Several copies of these fake IDs were found during a raid.

Important role

The Justice Department is still busy investigating the case. The wiretaps play an important role in it. They would show that several suspects were expressly involved in the hemp trade. The wiretaps were mostly conducted in Albanian, which meant that some things had to be translated.

Three networks

These Albanians, by the way, did not all belong together, justice officials believe. The group is divided into three drug networks. Haxhi P. (34), an Albanian who maintained close ties with Moroccan Belgians, is seen as the ringleader of the first group. He drove around in Europrofex cars and was even on the payroll of a sister company. Haxhi was also arrested along with the two Europrofex men, in Würselen, Germany.

Haxhi and Romeo

Where the group around Haxhi would consist of five to six people, the second "network" is much smaller. That group would be led by Romeo G. (30) and otherwise consist only of his wife Julia. Attorney Justin Luiten, who is assisting Romeo, did not wish to comment further on the case and any connections between the networks. "No comment."

More arrests

Incidentally, it cannot be ruled out that more arrests will follow and both networks will still be "supplemented. After all, the current dossier mentions several suspects who have not yet been arrested. That brings us to the third network; a group from which no one has yet been arrested. Reliable information from L1 indicates that the Justice Department has at least one suspect emphatically in its sights, but has not yet arrested him.

People from Lushnjë

What is striking is that almost all Albanian suspects are from Lushnjë. In recent years, more Albanians from that city have been arrested in Limburg. Of the 16 people arrested so far, eight are at large again. Their cases were dismissed, or there were no serious reasons to keep them in pre-trial detention. Europrofex owners Abdnbie, Chihab and Hejjoub and network leaders Haxhi and Romeo are seen as leaders and remain in remand for the time being.

The defendant(s) in this case are assisted by: