Young perpetrators in Cologne: Organized crime takes over!

In organized drug crime, the perpetrators are getting younger and younger. According to the expert Oliver Huth, the state chairman of the Federation of German Criminal Officer (BDK) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the age group of suspects is often between 20 and 25 years. In the context of the ongoing investigations by the Cologne public prosecutor's office, these observations are a number of explosions that indicate an argument among 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 across Europe, but is particularly noticeable in Cologne. The perpetrators are often young and brutal, strive for a quick entry into the market and try to rise in hierarchies while they take high risks. The BDK chairman calls for an adaptation of the control strategy to counteract these developments and draw attention to the negative influences of false role models on the Internet. He also suggests watching youth bands early with the help of hidden investigative methods to prevent serious excesses.

challenges of organized crime

The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) defines organized crime (OK) as the planned inspection of crimes by more than two involved. The typical areas in which organized crime acts include drug trade, business offenses, money laundering and human trafficking. According to the BMI, the fight against drug trafficking takes place both at a national and international level.

In order to meet this challenge, the BMI, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Federal Police work intensively together. In November 2022, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser presented a strategy to combat organized crime. This strategy includes specialized police departments in the federal and state governments that work against OK with high resource effort. Every year the BKA creates the "organized crime" federal laying picture, which provides information about the extent, the risk potential and the trends of organized crime in Germany.

At the international level, cooperation is crucial because the OK is increasingly operating transnational. Germany works with Europol and Interpol to combat drug crime. The Federal Police also took over the overall responsibility for the European platform against Schlurlungscriminality (Empact) and completed safety agreements in order to improve the international cooperation between the law enforcement authorities. BAKs are stationed in over fifty countries worldwide to intensify the exchange of information and to set focus in European neighboring countries, Southeast Europe as well as North and South America, Africa and Asia.