The South American mafia floods Europe with drugs via the port of Hamburg – record seizure of 135 kilos of cocaine from us!
South American cartels are at the forefront of the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry. When it comes to smuggling into Europe, Germany, with its huge port of Hamburg, is the hub. The “poison” is delivered in shipping containers, hidden under legal cargo. And here the drug sponsors have a new, clever trick: cocaine powder is pressed into wooden tiles or hidden between the floorboards and transported discreetly across the sea.
It was only in January that security authorities in Bolivia were able to stop a truck. With a load of wooden tiles from a terrace company. Hidden inside: 8.8 tons of cocaine.
‘Snow’ secretly removed from port, cargo checked
But drug investigators from the LKA Lower Austria and the Federal Criminal Police were also successful in Austria: as part of ‘Operation Joker’, a record number of 135 kilos of cocaine in teak planks was seized in the port of Hamburg. The ‘snow’ was secretly removed and the container was taken from the port of Hamburg via a freight train under supervision to Bratislava, near the border. That’s where the entry took place. In addition, a laboratory for processing the medicines was blown up in the south of Lower Austria.
The ‘Joker’ had already led to a major police success in the summer two years ago. Sixty assault rifles, an illegal arsenal of weapons and explosives and large sums of cash were seized. The gang of 32 suspects from three countries was captured during a simultaneous Cobra commando operation in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.
In the leading role of the real mafia thriller: a Slovak couple who lived in the Danube Metropolis. The daughter, who was ten when she was arrested, was taken into the care of child protective services.
The now dismantled Serbian group is said to be responsible for smuggling more than 250 kilos of cocaine.
Gang boss is wanted for 10 years as a serial robber
During the cross-border operation, four suspects – one of whom had been wanted in Vienna for ten years for ten mail thefts – were arrested. Further details will be announced during a press conference on Friday.
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.
