- Supposed Miri clan chief extradited to Germany
One of the alleged leaders of the Miri clan has been extradited to Germany by Turkey. This was announced by the North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office and the Public Prosecutor's Office in Dortmund. The 38-year-old Syrian is accused of large-scale cocaine trafficking.
He was arrested on March 16 in Antalya, Turkey, and then deported to Germany last Saturday. Upon arrival, two arrest warrants were issued against him: one older one and one relating to alleged offenses committed from Turkey. In both cases, the charges involve cocaine trafficking.
Investigators from the North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office and federal authorities had been searching for him intensively for three years. Leading members of the Miri clan are said to have communicated using the encrypted EncroChat system, which was compromised in 2020 by French investigators.
40,000 chat messages
The data package also included 40,000 messages exchanged by the alleged cocaine dealer network led by the Miri clan. It is said that the leaders discussed deals and even sent photos of cocaine blocks, as reported by the public prosecutor's office at the time.
Three years ago, there was a raid against the clan, with a focus in Dortmund; at that time, the clan leader had already fled to Spain. An international arrest warrant was then issued for him.
The Lebanese-origin Miri clan and its criminal structures have been under police scrutiny for several years. In 2015, competing groups in Dortmund, including members of the Miri clan, fought for control of the cocaine trade. In 2018 and 2019, there were violent clashes between the Bandidos and the clan.
The extradited individual will now be investigated by the Office of the Prosecutor in Dortmund, as they face charges for cocaine trafficking. Due to the allegations against him, the Office of the Prosecutor has been actively involved in the case.
