Large-scale operation early Thursday morning: Police officers searched a total of 21 houses and apartments, 18 of them in Dortmund. Police officers were also on duty in Werl (Soest district) and Bochum at the same time. The raid was directed against members of the Dortmund-based Miri clan and other suspects. The investigators accuse them of trading in cocaine in the double-digit kilogram range as well as violating the weapons law.
Investigations against clan since autumn
The basis for the major raid on Thursday is a procedure in the area of organized crime that has been carried out since October 2020. According to the police, the measures and investigations have not yet been completed. By Thursday morning, seven arrest warrants were executed against the management level of the Dortmund Miri clan. The officers also seized evidence, including small amounts of narcotics.
Who is the Miri Clan?
The Miri clan belongs to the Mhallamiye ethnic group. According to estimates, around 15,000 people belong to this population group across Germany. The first generations come from an area that belonged to Turkey after the First World War. Many of these Kurds fled to Lebanon in the 1920s and 1940s. During the Lebanese civil war, the Mhallamiye Kurds fled again in a third wave, often to Berlin, Bremen and Essen.
The Miri clan is closely interwoven with organized crime and has mafia-like structures. Countless crimes take place in the bouncer scene, in the red light district or in the gambling business. When there is a conflict in this scene, the police are quickly confronted with a backdrop of hundreds of clan members. The investigations are usually very research-intensive, as there are usually no dropouts and no witnesses.