First judgment in the Cologne drug war: four years in prison for Iraqi!

First judgment in the Cologne drug war: four years in prison for Iraqi!

Kalk, Deutschland - A moving day for Cologne: In a pioneering case of the so -called “Cologne Drug War”, the district court made its first judgment. A 30-year-old Iraqi has to go behind bars for four years because he has helped to take hostage and violations of the weapons law. Not only two semi -automatic firearms were found in his apartment, but also a proud 250,000 euros in cash, which he had given alleged complications of a hostage -taking, reports the FAZ .

The conflict, which has been shaking the Cologne underworld for about a year, began in June 2024 with violent kidnapping and kidnapping attempts. Among the suspects is Sermet A., a central figure that was caught in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris in autumn 2024 and is waiting for her indictment in Bielefeld. The process of brutal machinations around the hostage-taking in Cologne-Rodenkirchen is scheduled to start in September

background to the Cologne drug war

The past few months have been shaped by investigations against a network of 63 accused - 38 of them are already in custody. Over 80 investigators are currently in use to clarify the background of this complex drug conflict. In the past, the Cologne public prosecutor's office has emphasized that the Cologne drug gang holds the reins in their hands and coordinates drug deliveries from the Netherlands, as the Tagesschau . It turns out that the Dutch 'Mocro-Mafia' is only marginally involved in the arguments. Most accused come from Cologne locally.

A particularly explosive incident occurred on June 21, 2024 when a noise depot by the Kalker gang in Hürth was attacked. Here, 350 kilograms of 700 kilograms of marijuana disappeared, which further heated up the internal tensions within the groups. The fact that 78 investigations are now registered due to such criminal activities illustrates how profoundly the drug problem is rooted in the region.

drug crime in Germany

The "Cologne Drug War" is part of the increasing drug crime numbers of a nationwide trend. In 2023, around 347,000 cases were recorded in Germany, an increase of 2 percent compared to the previous year. 208,000 of these cases concerned cannabis, which has been partially legal since April 2024. Despite this legalization, the number of drug -related offenses remains over 90 percent, whereby in Cologne the disputes about drug deliveries and gang wars are increasing significantly, according to the statistics of Statista .

A worrying increase in drug deaths in Germany also underlines the negative consequences of drug use. In 2023 it was around 2,230 drugote, which indicates the long -term health risks of excessive drug use.

It remains to be seen how the Situation in Cologne will develop, but the city is undoubtedly faced with the challenge of calming both the agitated waters of drug crime and protecting the public. Exciting times for the Cologne police and the public prosecutor, who continue to work hand in hand to bring about an end to this.