Monday, 11 p.m., Berlin-Kreuzberg: Police officers chased a Smart, wedged the car in, the Smart driver reversed and crashed into a civilian police car.

The Smart driver was arrested, and in the car investigators found drugs packaged ready for sale and cash in pieces typical of the scene.

They had picked up a so-called coke taxi.

Sebastian Eder

Editor in the “Society & Style” department.

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The telephone numbers of these illegal service providers are relatively open in the Berlin party scene.

Anyone who needs coke calls and is served.

It happens relatively often that individual coke taxis are busted.

The investigators rarely get to the backers, the drivers are simply exchanged.

On Tuesday morning, however, Berlin investigators managed a rare strike against suspected backers of coke taxis - regardless of the operation on Monday evening.

The police searched apartments in 26 locations in Berlin and two in Hildesheim.

Three men between the ages of 20 and 31 and a 32-year-old woman were arrested after arrest warrants had been obtained against them.

Another suspect was arrested on the spot, the prosecutor announced in the afternoon.

"The phenomenon is incredibly widespread"

The group is suspected of gang illegal trade in narcotics in no small amount.

The homes of the two alleged leaders of the group - the 31-year-old and the 20-year-old man - and their accomplices and assistants were searched.

The investigators also rang the bell for numerous suspected courier drivers.

Drugs are said to have been delivered on at least 205 days between May 25, 2022 and January 10, 2023.

320 police officers were now involved in the raids, cocaine in the kilogram range and cash were found, and three vehicles were also confiscated, including a high-quality Mercedes.

However, the investigators are under no illusions that the coke taxi market has been shaken up in the long term.

Prosecutor Karen Sommer said Tuesday, "The phenomenon is incredibly common and difficult to control."