The State Criminal Police Office of Upper Austria has broken up a widespread drug ring: A 24-year-old from the Perg district is said to have purchased a total of two kilograms of cocaine, four kilograms of speed, 700 grams of crystal meth and ten kilograms of ketamine in the past two years and sold them on for a profit.
The street value of the drugs is more than 250,000 euros. Subordinate to the 24-year-old was a network of sub-distributors that resold the drugs in smaller doses. The police speak of “drug trafficking on an extraordinary scale”.
Investigations since autumn 2021
According to the officials, a total of twelve people, mainly from Upper Austria and Vienna, were arrested. The main perpetrator was already found out in autumn of the previous year and has not yet been finally sentenced to five years in prison. His partner was also on trial for involvement in the crime. She received a partially suspended 15-month prison sentence.
Three cocaine dealers who were caught in September 2021 had led the investigators on the trail of the young Mühlviertlers. The officers seized cash and mobile phones in his apartment in the Perg district. The 24-year-old was confessing and cooperative about the allegations of drug trafficking.
Drugs from Holland
The State Criminal Police Office was able to find out the dealer’s source of supply. It was a Dutch-German group of criminals who had been supplying drugs to the Upper Austrian since the summer of 2019. In October of the previous year, the handcuffs clicked for two Dutchmen (31 and 32 years old) and a 33-year-old German. The trio was caught in the act delivering drugs to the Mühlviertel. Two kilograms of ketamine and one kilogram of cocaine were found in a car near the 24-year-old’s home address.
78 smuggling trips
The 32-year-old Dutchman, a leading member of the group, is said to have carried out a total of 78 smuggling trips over two years, importing large quantities of cocaine, speed and crystal meth from the Netherlands. His compatriot, who is a year younger than him, has already been convicted of manslaughter in his home country and is said to have operated cannabis on a large scale in the Netherlands.
Several arrests in Upper Austria
In the course of the investigation, several dealers were identified. In November, the police seized crystal meth, cocaine, cannabis and ketamine in the apartment of a 24-year-old resident of the Innviertel. After the arrest of the man from the Ried district, his partner (23) continued the drug trade undeterred. She was caught red-handed and arrested in January. The handcuffs also clicked for four other women between the ages of 23 and 26 and two 30-year-olds in late 2021 and early 2022.
Source: Nachrichten
