The trial for two men charged with the murder of celebrity Dutch journalist Peter R. De Vries has heard of the text messages sent between the hit team and an un-named overlord who ordered the shooting in broad daylight on an Amsterdam Street.

In court, journalist Jan Meeus, a colleague of mine from the Netherlands and someone who knew Peter personally, watched the harrowing scenes and today he considers the bigger picture of such a senseless and brazen murder.

He tells me about the criminal at the very top of the ruthless Mocro Maffia, Ridouan Taghi, the business partner of Daniel Kinahan who police suspect is behind De Vries murder and those of a lawyer and brother of a prosecution witness.

He describes the fear that surrounds Taghi’s organisation and how he has challenged the very foundations of the Netherlands.

Crime World, with Nicola Tallant, is a weekly Iri…