Drug swamp in Vienna: Five men in court – the big drug cartel!

Drug swamp in Vienna: Five men in court – the big drug cartel!

Today five men are standing before the Vienna regional court and have to answer for drug trafficking. This group, whose members are between 25 and 40 years old, is said to have been dealing drugs on a large scale since April 2023. The organization, led by a 30-year-old Austrian nicknamed “Chefe,” was organized according to a structured corporate model that included coordination, pricing, preparation and delivery. The drugs were mainly sourced from Moroccan suppliers and not only cannabis and cocaine, but also other drugs such as MDMA and ketamine were traded on a large scale.

The investigation uncovered alarming evidence, including incriminating photographs showing a beaten, tied-up victim. This man, a member of a rival drug organization, is said to have betrayed the defendants to the police. In addition to the head of the organization, a 31-year-old lawyer from Styria was also convicted and had already received 14 months of partial prison sentence. The first verdicts have already been passed: The “boss” received six years in prison, while his right hand man was sentenced to 30 months. Another member received three and a half years, while an errand boy was sentenced to 30 months and a taxi driver was sentenced to 24 months. However, all verdicts are not yet final and the investigation is ongoing. A total of an impressive 95 kilograms of cannabis, 511 grams of MDMA, 237 grams of cocaine, two and a half kilograms of ketamine and two handguns were seized. These facts demonstrate the intense drug activity being investigated at the Vienna Regional Court. Krone reports that 15 main suspects have already been identified.

Drug trafficking and organized crime

Parallel to the drug trials, another trial for aggravated robbery is also being conducted in Vienna. The defendant is a 34-year-old member of a Serbian-Montenegrin mafia gang that also deals in narcotics on a large scale. The specific incident occurred on December 28, 2019, when the defendant and his accomplices forcibly took 13 kilograms of cocaine and 106,000 euros from another group of perpetrators. This resulted in a staged scenario that was staged under the guise of an alleged purchase. Perpetrators lurking behind mattresses in a warehouse brutally attacked the sellers, even injuring one of them with a knife. This trial paints a grim picture of the violence associated with drug trafficking. [NOEN].

Drug situation in Austria

Seen in a broader context, the current situation also reflects the findings of the annual “Report on the drug situation in Austria” commissioned by the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) and the Ministry of Health. The report for 2024 covers the epidemiological situation of the previous year and covers developments in the political and legal framework as well as measures to reduce demand. Chapters on drug markets, drug crimes and drug-related issues are also addressed to shed light on the overall situation. Ministry of Social Affairs informs that the last update of the report was made on January 29, 2024.

These different aspects of drug crime once again demonstrate the complexity and serious impact of drug trafficking on society, both at an individual and structural level.