Customs officer and police officer remanded in custody over darknet drug trafficking
A customs officer from Bad Zwischenahn and a police officer from Oldenburg are suspected of conducting over 1,000 drug transactions on the darknet.
Over 500,000 euros in sales: Four suspects arrested after darknet drug trafficking
A customs officer from Bad Zwischenahn and a police officer from Oldenburg are at the centre of a drug investigation in Lower Saxony. According to ndr.de, four suspects aged between 31 and 37 are suspected of conducting more than 1,000 drug transactions with total sales of at least 500,000 euros.
On Wednesday, the customs officer and two further suspected main perpetrators were arrested and remanded in custody. The police officer who is also a suspect remains at liberty for now; he is accused of aiding and abetting.
The Public Prosecutor General and Oldenburg police accuse the main suspects of commercial and organised unlawful dealing in narcotics in not insignificant quantities. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office told NDR Lower Saxony that the suspects face possible sentences of up to 15 years' imprisonment. The origin of the drugs – possibly from seized consignments – remains under investigation. Whether further persons were involved was left open by the spokesman.
In a large-scale operation, investigators searched ten residential and office buildings in Oldenburg, Bad Zwischenahn, Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg, including operations involving specialist units. According to the prosecutor's office, items seized included data storage devices, communication equipment and several kilograms of drugs: approximately 2 kilograms of hashish, 8 kilograms of cannabis and 11 kilograms of amphetamines. In addition, a five-figure sum of cash and high-value watches were seized.
According to the investigation, the customs officer is suspected of procuring drugs between February 2019 and April 2026 and storing them in a warehouse in the Bad Zwischenahn area. A further main suspect from Bad Zwischenahn is suspected of being responsible for packaging and shipping, a third for payment processing. The police officer suspect is suspected of providing storage space. Drugs sold included cannabis, amphetamine and cocaine – through illegal trading platforms on the darknet as well as via messenger services, with an international focus.
Oldenburg's Central Criminal Investigation Department is additionally investigating the 49-year-old police officer for money laundering.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)