Drug ring smashed in Vienna: Ten arrests at Großrazzia!

Drug ring smashed in Vienna: Ten arrests at Großrazzia!

Wien, Österreich - A comprehensive blow against organized drug crime has been carried out in Austria and Germany in the past few days. After investigations that have been running in the Vienna area since the summer of 2020, an Albanian addictive ring was smashed. The network sales value of the network, which was active during this time, is estimated at around 2.5 million euros.
The Lower Austrian police reported a total of ten arrests on Monday, including nine men of Albanian citizenship and a Slovak citizen. Seven of the arrested persons, including the main suspect, a 32-year-old Albanian from the Gänserndorf district, were admitted to the Vienna-Josefstadt judiciary. The main person responsible, a 48-year-old uncle of the main suspect, lives in Duisburg.

As part of the joint investigation, which was carried out under the direction of the State Criminal Police Office in Lower Austria, there was a coordinated intervention on May 26 and 28. In addition to the large drug bearing, the authorities were also able to secure cash of 44,265 euros. The drug supplies included 9 kilos of cocaine and 64 kilos of cannabis herb.

arrests and procedure

The arrests concerned several alleged members of the drug gang, including two smugglers and three street sellers who acted as bunker holders. The investigation showed that the gang had sold at least 32 kilos of cocaine and 65 kilos of cannabis herb over a longer period of time. These activities were coordinated in close cooperation with the AG Achilles of the Federal Criminal Police Office and the police authorities in Germany, including the Duisburg police headquarters and the Traunstein criminal inspection.
A suspect arrested in Germany is currently in extradition, while two other people are subject to criminal proceedings.

Combating drug crime is a central task of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in Germany, as is also evident in the context of these arrests. The BKA acts as a coordination center and carries out extensive investigation to proceed against international drug trafficking. It is emphasized that organized crime in drug trafficking has considerable potential for violent crimes and thus a serious danger to public security. The efforts include trade in classic drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and synthetic drugs.

The arrests and the seized drugs are part of a larger trend in drug crime, which is particularly shaped by the high availability of substances. This Situation requires constant adaptation of the investigative work, especially in the area of ​​new psychoactive substances and the challenges by illegal drug sales on the Internet.