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[[File:Hattack micha vllanakni.jpg|220px|thumb|The Wallaki Brothers were the infamous leaders of a Akshish network during the sixties.]]
{{Region_icon_Ajax}}
The '''Hachahatak Connection''', also simply known as the '''Akshish''', "the Root", is an {{wp|organized crime|organized crime syndicate}} originating in the region of [[Belfras|Eunos]] and [[Yajawil of Ekab|Ekab]] and has an heavy presence all around the [[Ajax|Kayamuca Sea]], especially in [[Belfras]], the [[Mutul]], and [[Ayeli]]. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organisational structure and {{wp|code of conduct}}. It originated as an association of terrorist groups and militant organizations fighting or promoting the idea of a independent {{wp|Choctaw|Hachahatak State}} in southern Belfras. After a few decades of violence, it devolved into a loose association of criminal groups with the core activities of {{wp|protection racket|racketeering}}, the arbitration of disputes between criminals, and {{wp|drug traficking}} and other acts of {{wp|smuggling}}.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|9|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Drevstran]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| birthname =
| spouse =
| party = [[Yedviro]]
| otherparty = Independent (2014-2021)
| children = 5
| residence =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| profession = Politician, Lawyer
}}
==History==
'''Simon David Maridates Smeleres''' is a [[Drevstran]]ese politician born the 18th of August 1947 in the village of [[Hirzent-Maria]]. He is part of the [[Smeleres political dynasty]]: his father is [[Mirkulash Smeleres]], a respected [[Yedviro]] party official and realtor and his mother [[Amaryllis Philaioui]], daughter of [[Maridates Philaioui]], a [[Mesogeia]]n expatriate gemstones trader who lived in [[Angrast]]. Through his father, he is a relative of the [[Siranko]] family, which trace its roots back to both [[Velikoslavia|Velerian]] and [[Lushyodorstag|Lushyod]] nobility. Lawyer by trade, he got into politics early on, joining the Youth-Section of [[Nepserot]] at the age of 16, and then became a party member at 20 but left to join the newly formed [[Yedviro]] in 1976. He served as party official, branch president, mayor of Hirzent-Maria, Delegate to the Parliament, Governor, before becoming President of Yedviro and ultimately Mervoret.
===After 1916===
{{see also|Belfro-Mutulese war of 1911}}
[[File:Group of Eleven Near Meadow, One in Partial Native Dress 1909.jpg|220px|thumb|Hachahatak independentists of the [[Silent Hand]] in [[Belfras|Eunos]]]]
Following the devastation caused by the repression of the ill-fated [[Belfro-Mutulese war of 1911|Hachawaya]], many {{wp|Hachahatak}} migrated to the [[Mutul]] or other countries. New districts appeared in the [[Yajawil of Ekab]] filled with these refugees, who kept contact with their relatives that had remained on the other side of the Nor-Oxi Strait.
The first published account of what became known as "The Root" dates to the year 1930, during the [[Belfro-Mutulese War of 1928]]. A journalist reported that a number of Hachahatak-majority districts had become home of relatively large associations of criminals offering protection services against both the authorities and rival gangs. Post-war, they gradually progressed from small neighborhood operations to citywide and eventually state-wide organizations.
His 2009 campaign was cut short by the accusations of corruption and treason while serving as Mervoret brought against him by [[Mïgrai Bharamut]]. While he was found non-guilty on treason, the bad press brought by the trial and his condemnation for corruption while in office led to his destitution by the Yedviro Party which ultimately took away his card. He returned to politics in 2015 as an Independent, running for the Mayorship of his birthplace. His successful comeback and rekindled popularity has allowed him to rejoin Yedviro, ultimately returning to the position of President with the mission of winning the 2024 General Elections.
[[Silent Hand|Shikoba Hushima]] was a Hachahatak independentist who had fled with his family to the [[Mutul]] after the defeat of Hachawaya. He returned to [[Belfras]] in 1936 under a false name and, alongside a few other relatives and allies, created the [[Silent Hand]]. The Silent Hand was a group that conducted a large number of terrorist attacks in Belfras, boasting that they fought for the "resurection of Hachawaya". They used extortions, kidnapping, and drug trafficking, as their main sources of revenues, and also smuggled weapons and explosives into Belfras to perform attacks on police officers and bank robberies. Most members of the Silent Hand ended up captured or killed, and it was disbanded. But a number of smaller organizations, either splinter cells or copycats, continued the fight for an independent Hachawaya.
==Early Life==
Simon Smeleres was born on the 18th of August 1947 at the St-Jon Bazimilion Hospital in [[Petrograve]] to [Mirkulash Smeleres]] and [[Amaryllis Philaioui|Smeleres]], born Philaioui. The Smeleres are a cadet branch of the wider Siranko family and arrived in [[Hetmoscar]], the northernmost region of [[Drevstran]] on the border with [[Arazija]], when the formation of the Triple-Crown when garrison towns were created on the border due to the risk of troubles from [[Ludvosiya]] spilling over. His grandfather, [[David Smeleres]] had been Magistrate of Petrograve and supported [[Prince Farza of Kaposlovar]] and his Golden Columns during the [[Drevstranese Civil War]] before serving as Deputy of Hetmoscar in the First Republic. His father Mirkulash inherited his father' position within the upper society of Petrograve. But the Smeleres would end up drawing the ire of [[Vernesto Skolad]]. David and his children, including Mirkulash, were arrested and imprisoned. David Smeleres would die in jail in 1949. Mirkulash and the rest of the family would only be freed in 1953 after the Black Streets Days and the creation of the Second Republic. He would be one of [[Nepserot]] first adherent in the north and represent the party in his region.
The main strength of these groups, all claiming to be part of a larger association known as "The Root", was their connection with other Hachahatak communities in the [[Mutul]]. This gave them a greater access to drugs such as {{wp|opium}}, {{wp|cannabis}}, and {{wp|Erythroxylum coca|coca leaves}}. The money obtained from drug trafficking allowed them to become the criminal lords of large networks of extortions, legal and illegal enterprises in [[Belfras|Eunos]] paying a protection fee to "The Root".
His maternal grandfather, [[Maridates Philaioui]], had moved from [[Mesogeia]] to Drevstran as a representative for his family' diamond, gemstone, and jewelries trade. He possibly chose to settle permanently in [[Angrast]] due to his [[Aletheic Church|Aletheic faith]] which has often been victim of persecutions in Mesogeia. In the end, he became a fixture of the capital' upper society. His daughter, [[Amaryllis Philaioui|Smeleres]], would meet Mirkulash Smeleres during a reception and the two married in 1946, 10 months before their first son birth. Amaryllis was arrested alongside her husband but was allowed to return in house arrest to take care of their underaged child.
==Structure==
In 1965, Simon Smeleres integrated the prestigious [[Saint Julian University]] in [[Angrast]], in its Legal Studies Cursus. At 23 years old, in 1970, he passed his bar examination and became an associated lawyer at [[Mount-Peregrin Legal Counseling]] back in [[Petrograve]], a firm partly owned by one of Mirkulash known friend. He served as a lawyer until 1976, when events would precipitate his political career.
===Organization===
The Root is a loose collection of around one hundred organised groups, called ''Iskas'' or "Clan". Each Iska generally has a claim over a territory, usually a town, a village, or a neighborhood, but it is not always the case. There's an estimated worldwide 10,000 members of the Akshish.
Most of the Iskas operate in [[Belfras|Eunos]] and [[Yajawil of Ekab|Ekab]]. They are concentrated in the poor neighborhoods of the two States, which serve as their strongholds. In Ekab, the Sanctuary of {{wp|Maya Hero Twins|Hunaphu and Xbalanque}} in [[Tupak]] has long been the meeting place of the "Imoklasha".
==Political ascension==
===Deputation===
The electoral failures of 1974 pushed Nepserot' inner divisions to the forefront, notably the critics against [[Sargaï Bharamut]] turned into outright hostility. In the end, the party split up in three, with [[Priatselvo]] and [[Baratsag]] parties going their own way before merging, alongside other fringe political forces, into a new party in 1976: [[Yedviro]].
The Root recruits members on the criterion of blood relationships resulting in an extraordinary cohesion within the family clan that presents a major obstacle to investigation. Sons of Imoklasha are expected to follow in their fathers' footsteps, and go through a grooming process in their youth to become an ''Alia Aholitopa'', an "Honor Child". Other reasons might attract a young man to seek membership, and non-kin have also been admitted, but being recognized as an Hachahatak is always necessary. Marriages help cement relations within each Iska and to expand membership.
Simon Smeleres had followed the dissidents and joined Priatselvo and ultimately took his card at Yedviro. The relative lack of manpower allowed Simon to gain the support of the party as he ran for the Mayorship of Petrograve, where he remained a local figurehead of the Party from 1980 to 1990.
At the bottom of the chain of command are the ''Tushka chitokaka'', "Honored Soldiers", who are expected to perform tasks with blind obedience until they are promoted to the next level of ''Minko'', or Captain. Separated from the standard hierarchy but still linked to the Clan are the ''Nanpisa'' and then the ''Hopaii'', or "Prophet". These two ranks exact names depend on the country and the religion of the Clan, as a Prophet might be called an "Evangelist" in [[Belfras]], but they play an important role in the structure of the Iskas. It's to them that an up-and-coming gangster has to swear their dedication to a life of crime, either to the {{wp|Bible}} or by performing a Blood-Letting to {{wp|K'inich Ahau|K'inich Ajaw}}, once again depending on their religion. A ''Pinki'' is the second-highest level of command in a Iska and report directly to the Boss, the ''Jiopaii'' (Warchief).
===Power structure===
After the disparition of the Silent Hand and other militias, the power apparatus of the single families were the sole ruling bodies within the Connection. A superordinate body would only re-appear in the 1990s, as the result of negotiationso to end inter-family violences that had become all too common because of competing smuggling networks, or "clanic alliances".
While Belfrasians Iskas remain horizontal in nature, working with networks of alliances, agreements, and marriages rather than with a strict pyramidal structure, their Mutuleses counterparts show a greater level of structuration with stable mechanisms for coordination and dispute settlement centered around the cult to {{wp|K'inich Ahau|K'inich Ajaw}} and the {{wp|Maya Hero Twins|Hero Twins}}. Contacts and meetings among bosses are frequent, generally in holy grounds, sanctuary, and temples which are refuges from both antagonists clans and law enforcement. At least since the 50s, the chiefs of the Roots are said to meet annualy at the [[Tupak]] Sanctuary of the {{wp|Maya Hero Twins|Twins gods}}. The assembly exercises weak supervisory powers over the activities of all groups. Every boss gathered "must give account of all the activities carried out during the year and of all the most important facts taking place in his territory such as kidnappings, homicides, etc." Each year, a new ''Holitopa Aiapesa'' is elected. The Aiapesa is tasked with performing rituals to {{wp|K'inich Ahau|K'inich Ajaw}}, the patron deity of the Mutulese Root, settle inter-clanic disputes, grant authorizations to new Clans to operate, and collect a small percentage of illicit proceeds from all the Clans that participate to the Tupak Reunion. This money serve for the rituals to K'inich Ajaw the Holitopa Aiapesa has to perform and might also be redistributed into charitative works or to renovate or maintain temples and sanctuaries.
==Activities==
According to the [[Federal Security Agency (Belfras)|Belfrasian Federal Security Agency]], the economic activities of the Hachahatak Connection include {{wp|Illegal drug trade|drugs}} and {{wp|Arms trafficking|Weapons}} smuggling. Further activities include skimming money off large public work construction projects, {{wp|Money laundering}}, and traditional crimes such as {{wp|usury}} and {{wp|extortion}}. Drug trafficking remain the most profitable activity, representing around 60% of the total business volume of the Root.
==Worldwide presence==
The Root has had a remarkable ability to establish branches abroad, mainly through migration: The familial bond has not only worked as a shield to protect secrets and enhance security, but also helped to maintain identity in the territory of origin and reproduce it in territories where the family has migrated. It is now believed to have expanded beyond the "Belfro-Mutulese" axis, with Iskas having established branches in other Kayamucan states such as [[Tikal]] and [[Ayeli]], but also in [[Ochran]].
===Belfras===
The presence of the Hachahatak Connection within Belfras has been counteracted since the late 1950s by the [[Federal Security Agency (Belfras|Federal Security Agency]] (FSA) and the [[Belfrasian Gendarmerie|National Gendarmerie]] with infrequent but potent support by the [[Belfrasian Armed Forces|military]] in large scale raids or for intercepting smugglers crossing the [[Ajax|Kayamuca Sea]] toward Belfrasian territory. Annual information releases by the FSA frequently condemn the Mutulese government, citing a lack of international cooperation in defeating the Akshish. This culminated in the 2004 policy change allowing the Gendarmerie to keep those suspected of being under the employ of the Akshish in police custody indefinitely, and those convicted of Akshish-related offenses are refused leave to be deported to Mutul.
The first Gendarmerie-Military joint operation against the Akshish was in 1984 when the Gendarmerie blocked off roads within a 4-mile perimeter of a confirmed Akshish storage facility and [[Belfrasian Special Operations Command|special forces]] infiltrated the area prior to a shoot-out starting. News outlets were told by anonymous sources that the special forces opened fire first and executed individuals surrendering in the raid, which ended with almost 17 people connected to the Akshish. Despite the sometimes negative media coverage, the Gendarmerie and the army continue to operate closely as of January 2019 to combat the Connection across the Federation.
The Akshish's influence over the Federation's drug underworld has been notable. Since it's inception it has grown to be almost 75% of all illegal narcotic trafficking in the south of the country and 50% in places such as [[Thessalona]], [[Orestes]], and [[Mondria]]. Weapons smuggling through the Akshish has led to a dramatic rise in armed crime within the Federation since the 1990s, leading to the creation of special organised task forces by the Gendarmerie and the arming of police forces across the country, who until this point operated unarmed. Private security firms have been legally allowed to operate within the country since 2001 as a result of this increase in armed organised crime, and firms such as [[Rook Security]] now provide security to banks, elite residences, and have even been seen supplementing police forces in static security (i.e Thessalona International Airport).
===Mutul===
The [[Mutul|Divine Kingdom]] has been accused of being a "refuge" for Hachahatak gangs. Historically, the Mutul had supported the [[Silent Hand]] and other terrorist groups operating in Belfras, before turning against them with the arrival of the [[Orientalism (Mutul)|Orientalists]] in power. Relations between provincial and local authorities with various Iskas have been denounced numerous time and, even if they have led to well mediatized arrests on some occasions, the Divine Throne response has always been to minimze the influence of the Hachahatak diaspora over criminal and local public affairs.
Belfrasians authorities have regularly published documents which denounce the Mutul has not only turning a blind eye to the Hachahatak Connection, but even to favour it, encouraging the drug trades toward [[Belfras]] and even [[Belisaria]], turning the Divine Kingdom into an important plateform for {{wp|Morphine}} and {{wp|Heroïn}} trafficking and a {{wp|cannabis}} producer. Local auhtorities have also gladly accepted investments from the Hachahatak communities, especially in religious buildings dedicated to sung gods such as {{wp|K'inich Ahau|K'inich Ajaw}}, {{wp|Maya Hero Twins|Xbalanque}}, and the {{wp|Maya_jaguar_gods#The_Jaguar_God_of_Terrestrial_Fire_and_War_('Night_Sun')|Night Sun}}.
===Tikal===
Before the [[Tikal|Civil war]], police reports indicated that the Root had been allied with local {{wp|Maya people|Oxidentales gangs}}, selling them drugs to be distributed in popular tourist areas and festive locations. Because of the absence of a noticeable Hachahatak community on the island, the Root lack a street presence, remaining in a position of supplier. It is also suspected that it's through the Roots that the [[Hands of Thunder]] managed to build off an early stockpile of weapons and ammunitions.
Simon David Maridates Smeleres is a Drevstranese politician born the 18th of August 1947 in the village of Hirzent-Maria. He is part of the Smeleres political dynasty: his father is Mirkulash Smeleres, a respected Yedviro party official and realtor and his mother Amaryllis Philaioui, daughter of Maridates Philaioui, a Mesogeian expatriate gemstones trader who lived in Angrast. Through his father, he is a relative of the Siranko family, which trace its roots back to both Velerian and Lushyod nobility. Lawyer by trade, he got into politics early on, joining the Youth-Section of Nepserot at the age of 16, and then became a party member at 20 but left to join the newly formed Yedviro in 1976. He served as party official, branch president, mayor of Hirzent-Maria, Delegate to the Parliament, Governor, before becoming President of Yedviro and ultimately Mervoret.
His 2009 campaign was cut short by the accusations of corruption and treason while serving as Mervoret brought against him by Mïgrai Bharamut. While he was found non-guilty on treason, the bad press brought by the trial and his condemnation for corruption while in office led to his destitution by the Yedviro Party which ultimately took away his card. He returned to politics in 2015 as an Independent, running for the Mayorship of his birthplace. His successful comeback and rekindled popularity has allowed him to rejoin Yedviro, ultimately returning to the position of President with the mission of winning the 2024 General Elections.
Early Life
Simon Smeleres was born on the 18th of August 1947 at the St-Jon Bazimilion Hospital in Petrograve to [Mirkulash Smeleres]] and Smeleres, born Philaioui. The Smeleres are a cadet branch of the wider Siranko family and arrived in Hetmoscar, the northernmost region of Drevstran on the border with Arazija, when the formation of the Triple-Crown when garrison towns were created on the border due to the risk of troubles from Ludvosiya spilling over. His grandfather, David Smeleres had been Magistrate of Petrograve and supported Prince Farza of Kaposlovar and his Golden Columns during the Drevstranese Civil War before serving as Deputy of Hetmoscar in the First Republic. His father Mirkulash inherited his father' position within the upper society of Petrograve. But the Smeleres would end up drawing the ire of Vernesto Skolad. David and his children, including Mirkulash, were arrested and imprisoned. David Smeleres would die in jail in 1949. Mirkulash and the rest of the family would only be freed in 1953 after the Black Streets Days and the creation of the Second Republic. He would be one of Nepserot first adherent in the north and represent the party in his region.
His maternal grandfather, Maridates Philaioui, had moved from Mesogeia to Drevstran as a representative for his family' diamond, gemstone, and jewelries trade. He possibly chose to settle permanently in Angrast due to his Aletheic faith which has often been victim of persecutions in Mesogeia. In the end, he became a fixture of the capital' upper society. His daughter, Smeleres, would meet Mirkulash Smeleres during a reception and the two married in 1946, 10 months before their first son birth. Amaryllis was arrested alongside her husband but was allowed to return in house arrest to take care of their underaged child.
In 1965, Simon Smeleres integrated the prestigious Saint Julian University in Angrast, in its Legal Studies Cursus. At 23 years old, in 1970, he passed his bar examination and became an associated lawyer at Mount-Peregrin Legal Counseling back in Petrograve, a firm partly owned by one of Mirkulash known friend. He served as a lawyer until 1976, when events would precipitate his political career.
Political ascension
Deputation
The electoral failures of 1974 pushed Nepserot' inner divisions to the forefront, notably the critics against Sargaï Bharamut turned into outright hostility. In the end, the party split up in three, with Priatselvo and Baratsag parties going their own way before merging, alongside other fringe political forces, into a new party in 1976: Yedviro.
Simon Smeleres had followed the dissidents and joined Priatselvo and ultimately took his card at Yedviro. The relative lack of manpower allowed Simon to gain the support of the party as he ran for the Mayorship of Petrograve, where he remained a local figurehead of the Party from 1980 to 1990.
