Duisburg police crack down on drunk and uninsured drivers in major traffic operation
Police Crackdown in Duisburg Targets Impaired Drivers
On Thursday (March 26), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Duisburg police—alongside partner agencies—conducted a large-scale traffic operation at a parking lot (intersection of Vulkanstraße, Heerstraße, Marientor, and Steinsche Gasse) aimed at removing intoxicated drivers from the roads.
The North Rhine-Westphalia Police Training, Professional Development, and Personnel Agency (LAFP NRW) participated in the operation as part of its advanced training program, "Drugs in Road Traffic." Officers from Duisburg's Municipal Enforcement Service (SAD) were also on site, joined by specialists from the North Rhine-Westphalia Central Police Services Agency (LZPD NRW), who are responsible for developing, testing, evaluating, and providing technical support for urine and saliva drug-screening tests. Representatives from the Institute of Legal Medicine at Essen University Hospital—tasked with analyzing blood samples and preparing expert reports—also took part in the operation. To ensure swift processing for those affected, a physician was present to take blood samples on the spot. A police dog handler with a narcotics detection dog stood by for potential vehicle searches for illegal substances.
Over the six-hour operation, officers checked 79 vehicles and 90 individuals. Police reported the following results:
- A physician took six blood samples from drivers suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of intoxicants.
- Two criminal complaints filed for driving without a license.
- One criminal complaint for violating compulsory insurance laws.
- One security deposit imposed after an individual with no fixed address in Germany was found driving under the influence of narcotics and without mandatory vehicle liability insurance.
- One license plate was confiscated.
- Two administrative offense reports filed for expired vehicle registrations.
- Three inspection reports issued for vehicle defects.
- Two administrative offense reports for improper load securing.
- One warning fine issued to a driver for using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle.
Duisburg's Municipal Enforcement Service filed seven administrative offense reports for missing environmental badges and issued 17 warning fines for defective vehicle lighting.
In addition to checking vehicles with insufficient tire tread, a van loaded with trash, and several unusual cars, officers stopped a man driving an Opel. After a preliminary drug test came back positive, the physician took a blood sample. At the request of the Duisburg Public Prosecutor's Office, a judge at Duisburg District Court issued an oral search warrant for the vehicle after police discovered a spoon with white residue inside. A narcotics detection dog then located additional drug paraphernalia in the car. The Opel driver was prohibited from continuing his journey and ordered to proceed on foot.
Officers also stopped a foreign-registered Audi driver, who tested positive for cocaine in a preliminary screening. Since the vehicle was uninsured and no longer registered, police confiscated the license plate and imposed a security deposit. The driver was likewise banned from continuing.
Near the parking lot, officers encountered an e-scooter carrying two people. A preliminary drug test returned positive for both riders—a married couple, aged 44 and 50. The physician took blood samples from both. During a search, police found amphetamines and, on the 50-year-old, a flick knife, all of which were seized.
Alexander Paffrath, head of the traffic directorate, emphasizes: "Drug use by road users has an immediate impact on their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. In such cases, the consequences of accidents are regularly severe. Reducing accident numbers is therefore a key component of our road safety efforts. For this reason, Duisburg police conduct targeted operations of this kind on a regular basis. Every accident we prevent is a small but meaningful success—we will continue to take decisive action, working closely with our network partners."
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