A member of a gang that had manufactured and sold drugs on a large scale was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Vienna Regional Court on Monday for preparing drug trafficking and other crimes. The indictment had accused the 40-year-old of organizing and financing the operation of several cannabis plantations in eastern Austria and being the economic owner of the production facilities. The verdict is not final.
The plantations yielded a total of 523 kilos of hemp and associated income, according to the indictment. In any case, the man lived in a villa, drove a snow-white Ferrari and owned a number of luxury watches, as prosecutor Martin Ortner illustrated at the beginning of the trial by projecting photos on the wall in the courtroom. The 40-year-old man made a full confession. “Everything there is true,” he said, referring to the indictment. However, he was not a leading member of the criminal organization: “I was never in charge.”
Masterminds would be in Serbia
After that, the man of Serbian origin did not want to give any further information. His lawyers Nikolaus Rast and Philipp Wolm pointed out that the masterminds of the whole case were in Serbia. “These are very dangerous people in the Balkans. He has three small children. It would be very dangerous for him to say who is behind it,” Rast said.
Plantations hidden in single-family homes
The prosecutor described the suspect as a “key member” of the criminals who had provided highly professional, industrially produced drugs. He supported his claim with photographs of the cannabis plantations involved in Mark Piesting (Wiener Neustadt-Land district), Strasshof an der Nordbahn (Gänserndorf district), Vösendorf (Mödling district) and Oberpullendorf in Burgenland. “There was lighting, irrigation and ventilation to get rid of the stench. You can’t grow cannabis more professionally,” the prosecutor told the jury. Some plantations were located in single-family homes and were therefore “well hidden”.
No extradition treaty with Serbia
In June 2018, after extensive investigations, observations and telephone surveillance, law enforcement officers put an end to the crowds. Eleven house searches and nine arrests took place, while the craftsmen who once worked on the plantations – several gardeners, an electrician, an errand boy – have long since been convicted. The 40-year-old, who gave up his job title during today’s hearing as an employee of a snow removal company, has now been in Serbia for two years. He could not be prosecuted by the judiciary because there is no extradition agreement with Serbia.
Now he faces trial voluntarily, in which he risks several years in prison if the jury sees him as a leading member of a criminal organization. For defender Rast, that was simply impossible because, according to the file, an alleged subordinate had sent the 40-year-old to clean the car: “He cannot be a leading member.” “It is perfectly clear that half a ton was produced,” prosecutor Ortner told. What role the 40-year-old played was “the crucial question” for the jury to decide.
In the end, the jury came to the conclusion with 5:3 that the 40-year-old had no leadership role within the gang. The prosecutor agreed to the sentence, but defense attorneys filed a nullity suit and appealed the verdict.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
