A million-dollar business!

Styrian drug ring unmasked:

The police seized money, drugs and weapons during the searches.(Bild: LPD Steiermark)

They have earned more than one million euros selling cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the Leibnitz party scene since 2022 - now the gang has been caught. A total of 14 house searches, twelve arrests and 40 further charges were made in the exposed Styrian drug ring.

A great success for the narcotics investigators in Leibnitz: they had been on the trail of a drug ring since last year, and now the suspects have been caught. Twelve men are suspected of having made more than one million euros selling drugs in Leibnitz and Graz between fall 2022 and March 2024. They are said to have sold eleven kilograms of cocaine, more than two kilograms of heroin and more than one kilogram of marijuana. Amphetamines, ecstasy, hashish and ketamine were also involved - with a total sales value of more than one million euros!

Police investigated undercover for months
In order to catch the group, the police units operated undercover together with Cobra. They followed the suspects - several Austrians, an Algerian and a Turk - undetected during their sales trips. In the end, 14 house searches were carried out, during which the investigators found half a kilogram of cocaine, 200 grams of heroin, countless deceptively real-looking weapons and several thousand euros.

Seized: Money, drugs and weapons(Bild: LPD Steiermark)

40 further charges among consumers
But that's not all: the suspects are accused of other crimes related to the milieu. They are alleged to have committed thefts, violations of the Weapons Act and grievous bodily harm. In addition, two of them are said to have been driving without a license - on 500 trips! Around 40 consumers and middlemen from the Leibnitz district have now also been reported in connection with the group of offenders.

Selling drugs as a bread-and-butter job
Eleven of the suspects are said to have been unemployed and financed their livelihood by selling drugs. They found their customers in the Leibnitz party scene. A 49-year-old Algerian was even staying in Styria with a fake Maltese identity card despite a residence ban. Six of them have already been sentenced to unconditional prison terms.