Trial in Graz

Coke and cannabis: drugs as a family business

The native Iraqis and the Armenian daughter-in-law in the jury courtroom in Graz.(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

Iraqi clan in the dock in Graz. The case involves cocaine and cannabis with a street value of well over two million euros. A verdict is expected on Friday.

Three sons, their mother and father as well as the daughter-in-law are sitting in the Graz courtroom on Wednesday. The co-defendant cousin did not appear. The family clan is accused of drug trafficking and money laundering. The case involves 23 kilos of cocaine, 253 kilos of cannabis and one kilo of the dangerous Flex cocaine, a modern designer drug.

Monitored by the FBI
Ordered from a supplier in Montenegro. "They deliberately hid the drugs in places that had nothing to do with them," explains prosecutor Marina Murko. For example, in cable ducts in underground car parks or chimney shafts in uninhabited houses. Communication took place purely via crypto messenger services, which were fortunately monitored by the FBI.

In order to conceal the profits - according to the prosecutor, the drug sales brought in almost 2.4 million euros - the defendants invested in a single-family home or a grocery store, for example. In addition, there were cash deposits allegedly made by the youngest brother, the parents and the daughter-in-law.

Everyone in the family has an education
The first thing that stands out is that everyone in the family has learned a trade. The parents are teachers, the youngest son is studying law, the two older ones have completed their apprenticeships and the daughter-in-law completed her evening school-leaving certificate. None of them obviously needed it. "My client got into trouble through drug use and succumbed to temptation," says Bernhard Lehofer, defense lawyer for the first defendant (36).

"All misunderstandings"
He and his 33-year-old brother largely took responsibility for the drug dealing. However, they emphasized that neither the wife nor the rest of the family was involved in the business. "These are misunderstandings that are easy to clear up." Christian Fauland, lawyer for the daughter-in-law: "It's all just assumptions by the investigators without any criminal acts." A verdict is expected on Friday.