It was therefore evident that the Albanian mafia
ends setting up in the Verviers zone.
Our aim is to explain by what means this organized
crime sets up shop, and how this installation presents, if not a model, at least
a whole set of stereotyped operations that can be transposable and already transposed
into other urban centres.
1° Arrival of the Albanian mafiosi
The first phase establishes a bridge between the nearest big city (in this case
Liège) and the zone to be conquered.
So we see arriving from Liège, or directly
to Verviers, a few candidates for political asile, supposedly Kosovares in 1998-1999.
These people, of which nobody has yet any knowledge,
set up in overpopulated furnished accommodations in the under-privileged sectors
of Verviers, let by unscrupulous landlords (often Turks).
Some of those guys set up also with compatriots already settled (at the start
of the nineties).
Early year 2000, those Albanian gangsters are spotted
for robberies committed across the whole of the District: mostly homejacking
following the Romanian modus operandi. The bounty is made of by the mob's easily
traded goods: money, bank checks, credit cards and also cars (using the keys
found in the visited homes).
Early year 2001, the first suspects are condemned
for over 120 thefts. At that time, one can see that the local Albanian criminals
are directed by bosses coming from Liège; Antwerp and Namur. It is evident
that most of them have "worked" to pay an immigration debt to the
organized mob.
2° Setting up
Rapidly released from jail, most of them, especially those selected by the organization,
look for better settlement.
It consists to find a way, legal or not, to stay
in Belgium. Some find work (to cover other activities) and settle with their
family. Others, bachelors, prospect the dancing halls of the region, searching
for women (middle aged or divorcees) seducing them and ending cohabitating with
them.
Not having a priori the same community spirit as the other migrants, willing
to live in the middle of the locals, the Albanians don't form a "ghetto"
easily located. They live dispersed in the city of Verviers, some in the District
or in the German's speaking region nearby.
Those Mafiosi have a need for a meeting place, with
some cultural excuses, but mostly permitting the criminal cell to have a structure
and a place to prepare their criminal actions.
In Verviers, two Albanians, already known by the Justice, set up, end 2001,
a bar in the centre of the city. This bar becomes rapidly the headquarters of
all the identified suspects who visit almost daily this location.
To be noted in other Districts, such a headquarters
is set up behind a cultural, Albanian or Kosovar, association.
3° Penetration of the local mob and partnerships
As any criminal entity which seeks structure and installation, the group, still
blurred, must be recognized by the local criminals. To this end, it seeks and
utilizes the small local thugs who punctually patronize the Albanian cafe.
These local thugs commit a number of small petty crimes (thefts, receiving stolen
goods) or also create incidents in the establishment racketeered by our Albanian
suspects.
As in a "Billard Club" in the city centre Albanian thugs police the
place, the owner loosing its choice of staff and patrons.
Facing more sophisticated local criminals, our suspects prefer partnerships
ensuring them the calm needed for their development. Those local partnerships
concern the mafias of "Maghreb" or "Greece". The activities
of these partnerships are drug trafficking, the THB, the co-management of establishments,
notably in July 2002 a Greek trafficker bought back the Albanian HQ-cafe.
Common also between the Albanian and the local mafia is the game (known as "Barboute")
in which they invest the most part of their criminal revenues. Many contacts
are made thru this activity and a number of crimes seem to be the consequence
of game debts that are reimbursed by the resulting profits.
4° Development and
diversification of the criminal activities
Initially homejacking was the primary activity of our group of Albanians. This
activity along with the activities related to the setting up (racket, clandestine
games) will diversify.
Real criminal organization in being, its members will revert to the classical
Albanian mafia activities. Therefore the central core of the group, benefiting
(as seen later on) from numerous connections in their country in Belgium and
other countries, develops its business in prostitution, THB, arms and stolen
cars trafficking.
5° The criminal organization, a natural finality
Ingrained in the District, benefiting of a range of profitable criminal activities,
the group slowly and quasi fatally must structure to make pay and also endure.