Drug gang disguised cocaine imports as fruit trade – raids in Germany and Switzerland
Investigators searched 16 premises in northern Germany and seized evidence and assets in the six-figure range. The gang is suspected of importing drugs through seaports.
Drug gang disguised cocaine imports as fruit trade – raids in Germany and Switzerland
A large-scale police operation led to searches at 16 locations in northern Germany. Three individuals were taken into custody on the orders of judicial authorities. The suspects came predominantly from the north of the Federal Republic but also had residences in Switzerland. This emerges from a statement by the Federal Criminal Police Office, to which Blick refers.
The ten suspects are accused of bringing drugs in large quantities to Europe through a network of trading companies. For this purpose, they are suspected of using shipping containers from South America that arrived at North Sea ports. The perpetrators allegedly exploited their professional contacts in the global fruit trade to conceal the shipments. In addition to legitimate firms, shell companies are suspected of having been used to make the deliveries appear legal.
During the raids, officers found electronic devices, shipping documents, money and valuables in the high six-figure range. Swiss authorities participated in the investigation and also secured evidence. The operation was carried out by the Federal Police, customs, and state police forces from Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.
Source: Blick