Young perpetrators in Cologne: Organized crime is spreading!

In organized drug crime, the perpetrators are getting younger and younger. According to expert Oliver Huth, the state chairman of the Association of German Criminal Police Officers (BDK) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the age group of the suspects is often between 20 and 25 years. These observations come in the context of the ongoing investigation by the Cologne public prosecutor's office into a series of explosions that indicate a dispute between drug gangs. Huth points out that around 300 kilograms of cannabis are the focus of the investigation.

Huth emphasizes that the phenomenon of rejuvenated perpetrators can be observed throughout Europe, but is particularly noticeable in Cologne. The perpetrators are often young and brutal, seeking a quick entry into the market and attempting to rise through the ranks while taking high risks. The BDK chairman calls for an adjustment of the combat strategy in order to counteract these developments and draws attention to the negative influences of false role models on the Internet. He also suggests pursuing youth gangs at an early stage using undercover investigation methods in order to prevent serious excesses.

Challenges of organized crime

The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) defines organized crime (OC) as the planned commission of crimes by more than two people involved. The typical areas in which organized crime operates include drug trafficking, economic crimes, money laundering and human trafficking. According to the BMI, the fight against drug trafficking takes place at both national and international levels.

To meet this challenge, the BMI, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Federal Police are working intensively together. In November 2022, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser presented a strategy to combat organized crime. This strategy includes specialized federal and state police departments that use a lot of resources to combat organized crime. Every year, the BKA produces the federal “Organized Crime” situation report, which provides information about the extent, threat potential and trends of organized crime in Germany.

Cooperation is crucial at the international level, as the OK operates increasingly transnationally. Germany works with Europol and Interpol to combat drug-related crime. The Federal Police has also assumed overall responsibility for the European Platform against Smuggling Crime (EMPACT) and concluded security agreements to improve international cooperation between law enforcement authorities. BKA liaison officers are stationed in over fifty countries worldwide in order to intensify the exchange of information and to set priorities in neighboring European countries, southeastern Europe as well as North and South America, Africa and Asia.