Cocaine smugglers caught in the port of Hamburg: arrests in Buxtehude!

Cocaine smugglers caught in the port of Hamburg: arrests in Buxtehude!

in the Hamburg-Billstedt and Buxtehude, a large-scale drug raid has brought the detection of a gang to the day, which cocaine has introduced in really large quantities over the port of Hamburg. According to ndr were hidden in banana kartons stored in a local banana trial. A total of 15 kilograms of cocaine were ensured, with the investigators have indications that the gang has hundreds of kilograms of cocaine.

The investigation has been ongoing since April and were initiated by a crucial reference to the HAF Safety Center (HSZ). The note concerned cocaine -loaded banana boxes, which led to the arrest of two men. A 61-year-old Turkish citizen who works in a port company was arrested in Hamburg and is said to have provided the banana boxes. His accomplice, a 21-year-old from Buxtehude, is suspected of having removed the drugs from the site. Two other men, a 53-year-old Macedonian and a 39-year-old German, were found at the searches, but were released for the time being, such as Tag24 reported.

drug smuggling in focus

The port of Hamburg is considered a central gateway for the European drug smuggling. According to ZDF show that around 16 tons of cocaine were discovered in the port of Hamburg in 2021. A disturbing trend that at the same time indicates rising drug volume in the port. The Belgian Minister of the Interior even plans to found a European port alliance to act against drug trafficking and organized crime. In this context, the port of Bremerhaven is also considered in terms of the networking of European authorities.

The German coastal region does not remain unaffected; Criminal prosecution authorities report on growing activities of drug smugglers. In April 2023, for example, 920 kilograms of cocaine were secured in a coffee container in the port of Hamburg. This shows how complex the criminal networks are and that even smaller ports like in Brake are used by the smugglers to distribute their goods.

The Uelzen criminal police and customs were significantly involved in the searches, in which further evidence were also ensured. While the investigators want to continue working in the background and smash the drug ring, the public remains alarmed by the increase in drug smuggling in German ports. The situation requires increased measures to protect our coasts from criminal activities and to ensure the security of citizens.