Huge drug laboratory in Brandenburg: Customs investigators strike!

Huge drug laboratory in Brandenburg: Customs investigators strike!

Wednesday morning brought extraordinary news from Brandenburg: customs investigators discovered a huge drug laboratory in Nauen, in the Havelland district. The emergency services, which included up to 150 people and received support from the Federal Police, the Brandenburg State Police and the Berlin State Criminal Police Office, came across a deposit containing over 100 kilograms of synthetic drugs and numerous chemicals for production. These were drugs such as 3-CMC and 4-CMC, which are very popular in the party drug scene. *Tagesspiegel* reports that 200,000 euros in cash were seized during this large-scale operation and two men were arrested on site.

The operation was not a coincidence, but the result of months of planning that took place on behalf of the Frankfurt (Oder) public prosecutor's office. The examination of the seized chemicals is expected to take several days as work in the laboratory is difficult for health reasons. Emergency services are forced to work in protective suits and gas masks. The waste products from drug production also provide information about the amount of drugs already produced, which could advance the investigation.

Drug crime in Germany

The current discovery in Nauen is part of a larger problem in Germany: According to Statista, around 347,000 drug crime cases occurred in 2023, an increase of 2 percent compared to the previous year. Of these cases, approximately 208,000 involved cannabis, which has been partially legalized since April 2024. However, the proportion of cannabis cases remains above 90 percent and drug-related crime remains a significant issue, affecting both organized and street crime.

Around 55,500 drug trafficking offenses were recorded in 2023, with cannabis remaining the dominant substance. This development not only shows the complexity of the drug problem, but also highlights the challenges facing law enforcement authorities. The number of drug-related deaths has increased alarmingly and reached approximately 2,230 in 2023, a clear sign that the use of illegal drugs poses a major health and social threat.

The effects of illegal drugs are not just limited to those affected. According to the *Statista* analysis, 58.2 percent of the approximately 45,300 drug trafficking suspects were of German nationality. This shows that the problem is widespread and affects many parts of society. In Bremen, for example, the number of drug deaths per 100,000 inhabitants was the highest at just under 5.

The operation in Nauen may have been successful, but it is also a warning signal. Drug-related crime remains a problematic issue and there is still a lot of work to be done by the authorities to get the situation under control. Whether in Nauen or elsewhere – the challenges posed by drugs will continue to concern us for a long time.