Police agents in the Amsterdam Diamant neighborhood had gotten death threats from members of a criminal Moroccan youth gang. The agents had been addressed by name and given to understand that they shouldn't meddle in the activities of the youth.
Commissioner Leen Schaap says that nobody touches his people and that they had arrested those who made the threats. The police had been following the group already and made the last twelve arrests Sunday. Overall 28 youth aged 15-25 had been arrested in recent past.
Schaap says that the evidence is being collected in order to tackle the group as a criminal organization. The conduct of these young men had nothing to do with such traditional youth gang crimes as breaking into cars and pickpocketing, and they dealt with large scale drug trade and violent armed assaults.
The group operated mainly from the Diamantbuurt, where they terrorized the neighborhood. According to the lead investigator they always stood in the same area and their leader, Oman el H. (22) made sure everybody followed his orders. He had been arrested last week after a failed robbery in Nijmegen.
Schaap adds that they expect all the suspects to give back every euro they had made off their criminal activities, so that other youth would see that crime doesn't pay, even when the criminals are released.
House searches had been conducted in many places after the arrests and many goods confiscated including hard drugs, money and electronics. An investigation was conducted prior to the arrests as to the personal circumstances of the suspects.
Authorities intend not only to prosecute the gang but also to prevent them from returning to crime. To that end the prosecution, municipality, neighborhood residents, social workers, residence corporations and schools will work together.
Source: Telegraaf (Dutch)
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