Five arrests

Video from GTI meeting busts drug ring

The GTI reunion attracts numerous car fans every year - among them was at least one suspected drug gang member.

(Bild: Sobe Hermann)

Five Austrians allegedly smuggled 80 kilograms of cocaine into the country and sold it here - a video from the GTI meeting at Lake Wörthersee led the police to the perpetrators.

The Federal Criminal Police Office in Vienna speaks of "another significant success in the fight against organized crime". During the "Roadrunner" operation, five Austrian citizens from Lower Austria and Vienna aged between 25 and 30 were arrested.

The suspects are said to have acted in an extremely professional manner with a division of labor: "One of the suspects acted as an accountant and precisely documented the quantities and financial transactions of the drug shipments. Another acted as a so-called 'warehouse boy' and courier. In addition to a salary, he also received a Christmas bonus and a 'company car'," said the officers, who were able to track the drugs across two lines to other countries.

Video leads police to gang
An unexpected tip-off was the gang's undoing, as a traffic administration case in Carinthia led to the identification of one of the suspects: "One of the suspects was recognized on a video of the GTI meeting in Carinthia after he had been reported there by the police for an administrative offence," it says. He is said to have been driving a conspicuous gold BMW.

Pre-trial detention for the five suspects
In this case too, the suspects used cryptomessenger services to coordinate their actions in a tap-proof manner. In October 2024, the police carried out simultaneous house searches and arrests at several locations. The operation, which was carried out on the orders of the Vienna public prosecutor's office, was supported by the EKO Cobra task force.
"In the course of the measures, assets worth 300,000 euros were seized, including cash, crypto wallets and vehicles." All five suspects have since been remanded in custody.