Mocro Maffia: Fiction vs Reality in Amsterdam's Underworld

The meteoric success of an urban saga

Launched in 2018, Mocro Maffia quickly became much more than a TV series. Based on the investigative book of the same name, it gripped viewers with its frantic pace and total lack of compromise. It follows the rise and fall of three friends caught up in the deadly machinery of the cocaine trade.

Watch the official Mocro Maffia trailer.

Inspired by true events: Amsterdam's gang war

Although the series is fiction, it draws on a tragic historical backdrop: the "cocaine war" that broke out in Amsterdam in the early 2010s. Attentive viewers will recognise echoes of real events that marked the start of an era of unprecedented violence in the Dutch capital.

Cultural impact: slang, fashion and street codes

Beyond the plot, Mocro Maffia has had a major impact on popular culture. "Straattaal" (street language), a mix of Dutch, Arabic and Berber, has spread from Amsterdam's outer neighbourhoods to school playgrounds across the country thanks to the series.

FAQ

Where can you watch Mocro Maffia?

In the Netherlands on Videoland, and in France on platforms such as Canal+ or Lionsgate+.

Is the series based on a true story?

It is inspired by the investigative book documenting the real gang war in Amsterdam that began in 2012.