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Drug courier caught while escaping: Dramatic police operation in Velten!
Police stop drug courier in Oberhavel: Escape ended on October 26th after a tire puncture on the A111. Investigations are ongoing.
Drug courier caught while escaping: Dramatic police operation in Velten!
An exciting weekend for the police in the region: On Sunday morning, October 26th, a suspected drug courier was picked up near Velten. The police had an Audi driver in sight during a traffic stop, but he fled when the officers tried to stop him. The escape began around 4 a.m. on Veltener Strasse.
The 32-year-old driver tried to escape the police, but his attempt ended on the hard shoulder of the A111 motorway after he hit a curb and suffered a puncture. The police were finally able to overpower him. During the check it turned out that the driver was driving without a license and was also under the influence of drugs. In the vehicle, the officers not only found a considerable amount of cash, but also a quantity of drugs that were clearly intended for trafficking. The police described him as a drug courier and closed the investigation. The driver has been temporarily arrested while investigations continue to determine the extent of his activities and possible connections. This arrest is another example of the ongoing challenges in the fight against drug-related crime.
Challenges of drug crime in Europe
The arrest of the drug courier from Velten is only the smallest part of a much larger problem that affects both Germany and all of Europe. Recent reports show that crime and violence in the drug industry are increasing rapidly. The European Union found that around 4.6 million people in Europe used cocaine in 2023. The EU also reported a record seizure of cocaine, with 419 tonnes, almost twice as many as in 2017. These worrying figures impact not only urban areas, but also rural areas, where gang crime and drug abuse are also becoming increasingly common.
Particularly frightening is the rise of highly potent synthetic drugs such as Nitazene, which is up to ten times more powerful than fentanyl. These substances are estimated to have caused 7,500 drug-related deaths in 2023. The proliferation of synthetic cannabinoids in foods, such as drug-laced gummy bears, is also leading to serious cases of poisoning. Several acute poisoning cases were recorded in Hungary in 2024.
Authorities, including EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner, have already highlighted the rising violence and corruption associated with the illegal drug trade. The EU is therefore working on a comprehensive strategy that includes, among other things, the tracking of money flows and the confiscation of drug profits and is intended to improve control over large container ports.
In summary, the incident in Velten shows that the drug problem has not only local but also global dimensions. With the increase in drug-related crime in Europe and its devastating consequences, it is clear that there is still a lot to be done in the fight against drugs and crime.