Dealer convicted

Drug gang played “cat and mouse” with police

The gang for which the Croatian acted as an intermediary sold cocaine on a large scale in Carinthia. (Symbolic image).

(Bild: africa-studio.com (Olga Chernetska and Leonid Yastremskiy))

A trial at the regional court in Klagenfurt reveals the modus operandi of an international drug gang. The criminals also used methods employed by the police.

The investigation got rolling last summer when the bouncer at a Klagenfurt nightclub caught a young Carinthian trying to sell drugs to the partygoers. At the time, the drug squad had no idea that the trail would lead them to the Serbian mafia. Within four months, the officers were able to track down ten dealers, including a 31-year-old Croatian.

While the other gang members had already been sentenced to long prison terms, the car mechanic had to stand trial on Tuesday before a jury panel presided over by Judge Manfred Herrnhofer in Klagenfurt. And this trial gave a glimpse behind the scenes.

Police and dealers observe each other
The police had succeeded in infiltrating an undercover investigator as a customer. What the officer told as a witness in court could be used as material for an exciting thriller. "I arranged a meeting with the alleged head of the gang to buy five kilos of cocaine," explained the officer: "But he told me to meet the accused." He was supposed to sound him out and assess whether it was possible to do business with him.

But the investigators who were monitoring the meeting place had no idea: They were also under surveillance, namely by members of the drug gang. "That's why the meeting place was moved again and again. We thought we had been busted," the investigator told Judge Herrnhofer.

The meeting place was moved again and again. We thought we'd been busted.

sagt der verdeckte Ermittler im Prozess

Finally, the meeting took place. And the Croatian acted extremely professionally. "I had to take off my shirt and drop my pants. He wanted to see if I wasn't bugged or armed," the undercover officer explains.

And when the officers then discovered a large sum of cash and packaging materials for drugs in the 31-year-old's apartment, the handcuffs clicked for the dealer.

Gambling debts as the motive for the crime
"I got into this because of my gambling debts," sighs the father of a daughter. The 31-year-old's defense tries to mitigate the defendant's actions: "My client was just a bouncer for the stores, nothing more."

Nevertheless, the Croatian was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. The verdict is not yet final.