Author: Severed head a message to organized crime members

Nabil Amzieb's severed head being left in front of a known criminal hangout in Amsterdam on Wednesday morning, is a clear signal to other criminals in the underworld, according to Marijn Schrijver, co-author of the book Mocro Mafia.

The severed head was found in front of Amstelveenseweg shisha lounge Fayrouz, known to be a hangout for criminals involved in the years-long gang war in Amsterdam. Mayor Eberhard van der Laan decided to close the lounge following the discovery.

"I've only seen this in films and series. It is known that these guys are inspired by movies and series, but this is new. It is certainly quite shocking. These are Mexican conditions", Schrijver said to Dutch newspaper AD. "It is also not the easiest way to kill someone. Someone deliberately took a risk by doing this and that is a very clear signal."

The author does not want to speculate whether this will lead to more assassinations. "I hope not. Chief prosecutor Theo Hofstee recently said that the wave of assassinations is over, but you do not need this murder to see that it is still unsettled in the underworld. But I don't know how strong the different clubs currently are. It depends on that whether there will be retaliation or not." he said to the newspaper. "In the beginning the picture emerged that there were two distinct parties. But that is no longer the case. It's all fallen apart. You don't know what group will take offense now. But this was clearly not a peace offering."