Cologne police talk: drug war, explosions and new measures are in focus

Cologne police talk: drug war, explosions and new measures are in focus

Mülheim, Deutschland - This day, June 12, 2025, the Cologne population is expecting an exciting event that deals with the current challenges of the drug war in the city. From 6 p.m. Gabor Leitner will moderate the "Police Talk" of Radio Cologne, where police chief Johannes Hermanns and police spokesman Wolfgang Baldes are expected as guests. The focus of the discussion focuses on burning topics from exploding acts of violence to the effects of cannabis laying on the Cologne streets. According to Radio Köln , the noticeable shift of drug trafficking from the city center to the neighboring Veedel is also discussed.

The topic is both current and alarming. The police report on a worrying series of explosions, shots and hostages that are closely linked to the drug war. The Neumarkt, Ebertplatz and Appellhofplatz are particularly the focus, where the police take measures to improve security. For interested citizens there is the opportunity to ask questions and actively participate in the discussion.

drug crime in Cologne

A trial is currently running in front of the youth chamber of the Cologne Regional Court against three men from the Netherlands. These are charged with hostage and dangerous bodily harm-part of a larger drug milieus that is interwoven with an attack on a cannabis delivery that was to take place in Hürth in June 2024. According to WDR it was a significant blow to drug crime than over 700 kg cannabis was stolen. But that's not all: In Bochum, too, a kidnapping in connection with drugs occurred, which shows how interwoven these shops are.

The accused in these processes are silent about the allegations, and everything indicates that violence is increasingly deeper roots in drug crime. A recent process also dealt with a 30-year-old Iraqi who was charged with hostage-taking. This case also illustrates the increasing brutality, with drug crime in the region.

global perspectives and upcoming challenges

A look beyond the borders of Cologne shows that drug policy is not only locally but also internationally important. Many countries have started to distance themselves from traditional prohibition and are increasingly relying on damage to damage. For example, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal have made progress in the decriminalization of cannabis ownership, which has led to positive effects for many of these countries. According to bpb there has been an increasing number of countries in recent years that have used their international law area reform.

The global norms that have been established since the 1970s as part of the "War against Drugs" can no longer remain undisputed. The question arises whether the Cologne police and politics can respond sufficiently to these international trends in order to successfully curb drug trafficking and consumption. Today's discussion in the police talk could provide some important food for thought.