Customs strikes: 35 kilograms of Ecstasy secured at the rest area!

Customs strikes: 35 kilograms of Ecstasy secured at the rest area!

drug trafficking remains a pressing problem in Germany, as two recently known arrests illustrate. On March 10, 2025, the customs authority discovered more than 35 kilograms of Ecstasy tablets on a rest area on the motorway in the Gütersloh district. This happened when the customs dog "Skadi" pointed out the smell of narcotics in the trunk of a vehicle of the 39-year-old Dutch driver. Despite his vehement negation, drugs and cash over 10,000 euros, several welded bags with ecstasy were found during the check. A quick test confirmed the identity of the drug, which is why the driver was temporarily arrested and is now in custody after being brought up by a judge. The investigation is headed by the Hanover customs investigation office on behalf of the Bielefeld public prosecutor's office nw.de reported.

Just a few weeks earlier, on February 26, 2025, an 18-year-old Algerier was arrested in an attempt to smuggle 320 Ecstasy tablets and about 2,900 prescription medicines across the German-Dutch border. Control by the federal police civil investigators took place in Bad Bentheim station. When searching his luggage, the officials not only encountered the large amounts of ecstasy, but also a small amount of cocaine. The arrested person who spent an invalid Dutch identity card was also put into custody after a judge issued a corresponding arrest warrant. The drugs and medication have been ensured and the Zollfahnungsamt Essen takes over the further investigations presseportal.de .

drug situation in Germany

These two incidents are part of a worrying trend in the field of drug use and trade in Germany. According to the latest Reitox report by the German observation center for drugs and drug addiction (DBDD, 3.6 percent of adult drugs consumed illegal drugs last year. Including cannabis, this value increases to 9.6 percent.

The investigation shows that drug trafficking continues to grow rapidly. In 2023, the police and customs records of 43 tons of cocaine were ensured, a significant increase compared to 2017 than the amount was only 8 tons. The drug -red statistics reach a maximum in 2023, with several psychoactive substances being demonstrated in two thirds of the cases. Burkhard Blienert, the Federal Government Commissioner for Addictive and Drug Questions, emphasizes the urgency of more effective combating illegal drug trade. At the same time, Esther Neumeier, head of the DBDD, calls for a faster evaluation of toxicological data and a better networking of the actors involved in countering this alarming trend