Six men arrested

Major blow against organized drug trafficking

(Bild: Bundeskriminalamt)

Successful investigation in the fight against drug smuggling! An international organization is said to have imported several kilos of cocaine from Germany and Slovenia and sold it in the Salzkammergut region. The arrest of two Bosnians (33, 37) set the ball rolling. Four more were caught and almost 50 were reported.

They are said to have smuggled kilos of coke into the Salzkammergut and sold it there. Extensive investigations put a stop to an association suspected of having brought several kilos of cocaine from Slovenia and Germany to Austria between around 2020 and the end of November 2024 and reselling it for profit in the Attnang, Timelkam, Hallein and Salzburg areas.

Caught on a smuggling run
The arrest of two main suspects from Bosnia (33 and 37 years old) set the ball rolling. The two were on their way back to Austria from Germany and, according to the police, had "large quantities" of cocaine in their luggage.

Pubs as a hub
Subsequently, another four people, a 36-year-old Serb, a 30-year-old Bosnian woman, a Bosnian and a German aged 36 and 49, who were also active as smugglers, sub-distributors and contributors, were arrested. The white powder was mainly trafficked in various Bosnian bars and at a snack bar in the district of Vöcklabruck. The profits were used to finance personal consumption, gambling addiction and faster repayment of house loans.

54 people targeted
A total of six people were remanded in custody in Wels prison. A further 48 people, purchasers and sub-distributors were charged by the public prosecutor's office in Wels under the Narcotic Substances Act. The 33-year-old, the 36-year-old and the 37-year-old are still in custody. The 30-year-old woman, the 36-year-old man and the 49-year-old man were released in exchange for lenient measures.