Germany seizes record 35.5 tons of cocaine worth €2.6 billion
Shafaq News/ German investigators announced Monday the seizure of 35.5 tons of cocaine, valued at approximately 2.6 billion euros ($2.78 billion), in the largest cocaine bust in the country's history. The drugs, hidden among shipments of fruit and vegetables, were confiscated last year following a tip-off from Colombian authorities.
Prosecutors in Duesseldorf detailed that 25 tons were intercepted at the port of Hamburg, eight tons in Rotterdam, and nearly three tons in Colombia. The seizure had not been previously disclosed.
Authorities arrested seven individuals, aged between 30 and 54, who are believed to be part of an international smuggling ring. The suspects include nationals from Germany, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Morocco, Turkiye, and Ukraine. Their identities were withheld due to privacy laws.
A businessman from North Rhine-Westphalia allegedly established 100 letterbox companies to facilitate the smuggling operation. Prosecutors stated that between April and September 2023, the suspects organized the transport of 10 sea containers filled with cocaine from Latin America to Europe using these front companies, with assistance from accomplices believed to be based in Turkiye.
"This is a blow to international organized criminality," said Benjamin Limbach, North Rhine-Westphalia's state justice minister, at a news conference in Duesseldorf. "It's a precise punch in the jaw that hurts the drug lords."
The operation, dubbed "OP Plexus," involved collaboration with Europol. During raids conducted in late May and early June, authorities seized mobile phones, laptops, gold bars, €23,300 in cash, and a Porsche valued at around €250,000.
Tino Ingelmann, head of the customs investigation authorities in Duesseldorf, noted an increase in cocaine seizures in Germany, with around 43 tons intercepted in 2023.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner praised the authorities' efforts, stating, "Every criminal must know that we will defend the security of our citizens and our businesses. We will defend it resolutely and vigorously."
