Drug war in Cologne: Explosion in front of the restaurant brings investigators on track

Drug war in Cologne: Explosion in front of the restaurant brings investigators on track

In Cologne-Kalk, the situation is tense: After a brutal explosive attack on the Kurdish restaurant "Saman" two days ago, the investigators are based on the background of this crime. According to the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger is classified as deliberate considered.

The restaurant is the linchpin for a lime-out drug gang that has been involved in a bloody drug war since June 2024. The investigators investigate whether the attack is related to the father of the detained gang leader who was apparently the goal of the attack. This gang has been running internal power struggles for some time, including hostage frames, torture and attempts to murder to assert itself in the drug milieu. Particularly explosive: The alleged gang boss, Sermet A., 23, is said to have been in difficulties via a non -paid delivery worth 1.5 million euros.

The connection to organized crime

But what is really behind this event? Tagesschau reports of a far-reaching drug war in the region. While the Dutch "Mocro-Mafia" is only marginal, internal arguments within the Cologne group seem to be the main cause of violence. A brutal SEK insert in July 2024 ended a hostage-taking that impressively demonstrated the extent of the escalation.

According to the investigation, which grasp a total of 35 suspects - including international actors - the hostage frames and explosions appear in a dark light of organized crime. Drug trade, especially with cannabis, represents one of the main focus in Germany, as the data of Statista show.

criminal networks in focus

In Cologne's space, Turkish and Serbian citizens are particularly represented in drug trafficking. Many of these perpetrators belong to isolated clans who organize themselves in a family. The fact that the Cologne drug gang is not only against drug robbers, but also against their own members, shows how profound and brutal these structures act.

The investigators continue to work intensively on clarifying the background. It is important to take the different motifs into account: the explosion could not only have been a warning to the father of the imprisoned boss, but also represent the consequence of open invoices in the drug milieu.

While in the past explosions and acts of violence have repeatedly made headlines in Cologne, there seems to be a serious upheaval. The pressure on the masterminds of the Cologne drug war is growing, and the arrests of the past few weeks could be the reason, which is why it is currently calmer.