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Munich / Aachen (dpa) - Customs investigators have smashed an international drug ring that is said to have smuggled large amounts of crystal meth and ecstasy.
18 suspects are in custody, as the customs investigation office in Munich and the public prosecutor in Aachen announced on Friday.
Between mid-2017 and the beginning of 2021, they are said to have brought drugs from the Netherlands to Germany in professional hiding places.
The investigators assume around a ton of crystal meth and several hundred kilos of ecstasy.
According to the information, the officials searched 30 apartments and various business premises across Germany in mid-April.
In Berlin alone there were 27 properties.
There were eight searches in the Netherlands at the same time.
The officers found, among other things, several kilograms of crystal meth, 60,000 euros in cash as well as data carriers and documents.
These should now be evaluated, it said.
Another source of income for the gang, according to customs, was the operation of illegal gambling halls in Berlin.
During the searches, the officers therefore also seized 47 manipulated gaming machines.
A total of 31 suspects are being investigated.
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The investigation was initiated by a dealer from Bavaria, who is said to have repeatedly bought large quantities of drugs from one of the suspects.
He was caught doing this.
More than 430 customs and police officers were involved in the searches.
Numerous special forces such as the GSG9 were also deployed.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210423-99-320333 / 2
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