Meet the crime families from the Middle East who took over Germany’s underworlds

By Milko for Gangsters Inc.

The United States has seen its fair share of foreign crime groups making it big before disappearing into society. From the Irish to the Jews and Italians to the Chinese and Mexicans: each group rose and left its mark. Europe is currently undergoing the same with crime groups with roots in the Middle East growing more dominant in various countries and cities.

Underworlds are always ruled by those that are hungry. People that have been through hell and have no problem taking you on a tour. Those escaping poverty and war in the Middle East have experienced hardship. Hundreds of thousands migrated from countries like Lebanon, Morocco, and Turkey only to find themselves in European countries where they – for the most part - were not welcomed with open arms.  

Still, relying on their numbers and experiences they were able to quickly make a name for themselves in various European underworlds, like those in the cities of Germany.

Remmo Clan

On 16 May, 2023, five young Germans were sentenced to 4 to 6 years in prison for their involvement in a burglary in November 2019 in Museum Grünes Gewölbe in Dresden. Diamond and jewels worth 116,8 million euro were stolen from the museum. De five men, all brothers and cousins, were members of the Remmo Clan, one of the most notorious crime clans in Germany.

The Remmo clan consists of some 13 individual families. Most of them come from Turkey. Parts of the family migrated to Berlin from Lebanon in the 1980s. Since 2020 it is led by boss Issa Remmo.

11130110699?profile=RESIZE_710xPhoto: Issa Remmo and Ibrahim Al-Zein.

It is estimated that some 1,000 members of the Remmo Clan live in Berlin. According to a report of the German police about 60% of them were once a suspect in a criminal trial (Landeskriminalamt Berlin report of 2012). Members of the clan were involved in crimes as theft, robberies, burglaries in banks or robberies of money transporters. The clan has a network of front men in Beirut, Tripoli and Berlin to invest its criminal income in legal business.

Together with the extended Al-Zein family the Remmo Clan is involved in drugs trafficking.

On February 20, 2020, brothers Wissam and Ahmed Remmo were found guilty and sentenced to 4,5 years in prison for their involvement in the burglary from the Bode Museum in Berlin. A gold coin worth 3,75 million euros was stolen from the museum on March 27, 2017. Wayci Remmo’s involvement in the crime could not be proven. Wayci was a cousin of Wissam and Ahmed.

In May 2023 Wissam Remmo, Rabieh Remmo, Bashir Remmo, Abdul Majed Remmo and Mohamed Remmo were sentenced. Ahmed Remmo was acquitted.

Al-Zein Clan

The Al-Zein clan is an Arab-Lebanese crime family based in Europe. They have some 300 members in Germany. Members of the family in Germany and Sweden are known for their involvement in criminal activities. While most are based in Germany, the clan also has members in countries like Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands and Turkey.

Members of the clan are involved in crimes like drug trafficking, armed robbery, arms trafficking, extorsion, fraud, money laundering, kidnapping and murder.

Miri Clan

The Miri Clan is a Lebanese crime group in Germany, currently led by Ibrahim Miri and Heisem Miri. The clan consist of over 30 extended families who arrived in Germany in the 1980s from Lebanon. They are particularly prominent in Bremen, where they have around 3,600 members. In Germany expert assume there are over 10,000 members. The clan is also active in Turkey and Sweden.

The Miri Clan is said to run the Mongols Motorcycle Club in Germany.   

Abou-Chaker Clan

According to the police there are at least 300 members of the extended family in Germany. They live mainly in Berlin and many of them are active in organized crime. It started when Said and Nazmie Abou-Chaker fled from Lebanon to Germany in the 1970s. Nasser Abou-Chaker is considered the head of the clan.

Police say the clan is organized in a similar way to the Mafia. Its members mainly commit acts of violence and crimes in the field of organized crime. The clan had a good connection with the Hells Angels.

Milko (a pseudonym) is a Dutchman who has studied organized crime in the Netherlands, its history, and its offshoots in foreign countries for over two decades. He is also very knowledgeable about crime in other European countries and is eager to share his information.

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