Germany's cocaine surge forces police to adapt as smugglers outmaneuver them
The president of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, has warned of a growing flood of cocaine entering the country, noting that drug traffickers are adapting their tactics in response to law enforcement crackdowns.
"While we are still seeing an increase in cocaine-related offenses, the rise is not as sharp as in previous years," Münch told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (Wednesday editions). The same trend applies to synthetic drugs. "We will need to remain highly vigilant, as the producing countries continue to face a cocaine glut."
At the same time, traffickers are shifting their methods. "We're seeing a resurgence of the so-called drop-off technique, where cocaine is jettisoned overboard at sea and later picked up by other vessels," Münch explained. "We're also observing that smugglers are increasingly targeting other countries. As part of an international operation, we are now working closely with Portugal, Spain, and other nations, as smaller ports in southern Europe are being used more frequently than before."
Additionally, Münch noted that cocaine is being chemically concealed in other substances before being extracted later. "There is an enormous amount of money at stake in this trade, which is why smugglers quickly adapt to police countermeasures."
According to Germany's police crime statistics, authorities recorded 39,414 cocaine-related offenses—including crack—in the past year, marking a 1.9% increase compared to 2023.
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