Process start in Düsseldorf: Mafia cocaine smuggling in sight!

Process start in Düsseldorf: Mafia cocaine smuggling in sight!

On February 3, 2025, the trial against eight Germans began before the Düsseldorf district court. The accused, who are between 36 and 64 and three women, are said to have smuggled almost 900 kilograms of cocaine on behalf of the Italian mafia, namely the 'Ndrangheta and Albanian perpetrator groups. The process takes place in the high -security wing of the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court, since the jury in Wuppertal is currently being renovated.

The public prosecutor accuses the accused of forming a criminal association as well as drug trafficking or aid. As the main suspect, the indictment identifies a 64-year-old man from Hattingen, to whom a profit of 2.2 million euros is made by drug trafficking. The other defendants come from cities such as Dortmund, Wuppertal, Remscheid and Castrop-Rauxel.

Investigations and large raids

The indictment results from several years of investigation, which culminated in a large raid in May 2023. In this campaign, 500 police officers were deployed in North Rhine-Westphalia, while over 1,000 civil servants were mobilized across Europe to take action against drug crime. More than 50 courier trips with cocaine, in a double -digit kilogram range, were documented.

The cocaine came from South America and was brought to Europe via Dutch ports and then smuggled to Italy with prepared cars. With this extensive use, the investigators collected a strong image of indications that led to the indictment.

conflicts in the background

The meaning of the process goes beyond individual cases. The 'Ndrangheta, as one of the most powerful mafia organizations, shows its far-reaching networks and the threat of organized crimes in Europe. Experts emphasize the need for more intensive measures against these criminal structures to reduce the influence on the European drug market.