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Drug raid in Vienna: Police catch gang of six dealers!
Vienna police bust drug ring: six dealers arrested, 3.6 kg of cocaine seized. Current drug situation in Vienna and Germany analyzed.
Drug raid in Vienna: Police catch gang of six dealers!
On December 6, a notorious drug ring in Vienna that operated through a network of “COCO taxis” was dismantled. The Vienna police arrested the last of the six wanted drug dealers. Those arrested, including citizens from Austria, Egypt and Nigeria, sold at least 3.6 kilograms of cocaine during their taxi rides since 2019. Special units, including WEGA, carried out house searches during the raids and confiscated around 1.4 kilograms of cocaine as well as a four-figure sum in cash in denominations typical of the scene. The two taxis used to carry out the drug sales were also seized. The lettering “COCO-Taxi” is widespread in Vienna and was also made visible as graffiti, it was reported vienna.at.
Cocaine consumption on the rise
These arrests take place in a context in which cocaine consumption is increasing sharply not only in Austria but also in Germany. According to that Medical Journal The REITOX annual report from the German Observatory for Drugs and Drug Addiction shows that the proportion of adults who consumed cocaine at least once a year increased from 0.6 to 1.6 percent between 2015 and 2021. Men are particularly affected, and there has also been an increase in counseling and treatment for cocaine abuse. Cocaine seizures by police and customs in Germany reached record levels, with a seizure of 43 tons of cocaine in 2023 compared to 8 tons in 2017.
Burkhard Blienert, the Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues, warns of the increasing radicalization of drug gangs that are infiltrating the market with high-quality, cheap cocaine. The high profit margin makes cocaine the center of the drug market, while at the same time the consumption of crack, a substance made from cocaine, is increasing in major German cities. This is a worrying development as the lack of treatment options for those affected and the number of drug-related deaths have risen to their highest level since the survey began. More and more people are losing their lives because of mixed drug use and the health risks associated with drug use.