Berlin authorities released a comprehensive report on Wednesday detailing the current state of organized crime linked to extended family networks, commonly referred to as “clan criminality”. According to the Berlin Senate Department for Interior and Sport, in collaboration with the Berlin Police, law enforcement currently identifies 616 individuals as being involved in this sphere of criminal activity.
During the past year, police registered 851 criminal offenses attributed to 296 suspected clan members. The majority of these offenses fell into the categories of violent crimes, accounting for 29 percent of the total, followed by traffic offenses at 14.81 percent and property and forgery-related crimes at 13.16 percent.
This report marks the first time that specific strategic priorities for combating this form of organized crime have been publicly outlined. The city of Berlin is highlighted as a national leader in proactive measures, having actively participated in the development of a preventative concept. Notably, Berlin has spearheaded efforts to combat the misuse of vehicle rental services for criminal purposes. Collaborative initiatives involving investigative and financial authorities, as well as administrative and civil legal strategies, are demonstrating promising results in addressing this complex issue.