A major police operation targeting a suspected darknet drug trafficking syndicate has resulted in four arrest warrants being executed across Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. Tuesday evening’s raids, conducted by specialized police and customs forces, took place in Ludwigshafen, Pforzheim and the Enz district, with follow-up searches in Karlsruhe and Mannheim.
The operation led to the seizure of approximately two kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of amphetamine, over 500 ecstasy tablets, 4.5 kilograms of cannabis and more than 7,000 prescription medications. Authorities also confiscated around €100,000 in cash and secured illegal online sales platforms, including servers located in the United Kingdom and Finland. A cannabis plantation containing 64 plants was also uncovered in the Vaihingen district.
Investigations against the group, suspected of jointly engaging in the unauthorized trade of narcotics and prescription drugs, began in October 2023. The four individuals arrested were brought before a judge in Koblenz and have, so far, declined to comment. The ongoing investigation is being led by the Frankfurt am Main Customs Investigation Office and the Rhineland-Palatinate State Criminal Police Office.
Initial findings suggest that the syndicate, allegedly led by two primary suspects aged 28 and 38 from Pforzheim and Ludwigshafen, conducted a significant unauthorized trade in narcotics – including amphetamine, MDMA, cocaine and cannabis – as well as prescription drugs, both on the open internet and within the darknet. Investigators believe the suspects operated in a divided and highly conspiratorial manner, with part of their illicit operation being supported by a specifically established illegal cannabis plantation.
