Police break up drug network in two-year investigation

Police have broken up a drug network operating from Leibnitz after a two-year investigation, ORF reported. Fifteen suspects allegedly sold drugs with an estimated street value of about 1.3 million euros.

Police said the investigation resulted in 14 arrests, 13 house searches and 13 suspects being remanded in Jakomini prison. Officers also identified 80 buyers, who were reported for offences under Austria’s Narcotic Substances Act.

Authorities seized about 20,000 euros in cash, three kilograms of marijuana, two kilograms of amphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, one kilogram of hashish, 800 grams of heroin, 800 ecstasy tablets and various weapons.

The suspects allegedly sold 100 kilograms of marijuana, 2.5 kilograms of 2MMC, 1.5 kilograms of pentedrone, one kilogram of ketamine and smaller quantities of amphetamine, ecstasy tablets and cocaine. The drugs were allegedly sold for profit at an estimated street value of about 1.3 million euros.

The drugs were obtained through several supply chains in Graz and Vienna and then sold in Graz, the surrounding Graz area, Leibnitz and Deutschlandsberg. The deals were arranged mainly through social media platforms.

The suspects were mostly Austrian nationals, along with two Croatian and one Slovenian citizen, aged between 20 and 31. Some of the defendants have already been given final prison sentences of between two and five years by the Graz Regional Court for Criminal Matters.

The investigation involved police units from Leibnitz and Deutschlandsberg, the Styrian unit against street crime, the Cobra special forces command, the Styrian rapid intervention group and the Styrian standby unit.