OÖVP warning

Cocaine transports lead right across Upper Austria

The Upper Austrian People's Party is calling for a consistent approach to drugs. Currently, cocaine smugglers traveling across the whole of Upper Austria are alerting the drug squad. Last year, a whole 6.3 kilograms of cocaine were confiscated here.

An estimated 2700 tons of coca are harvested every year. With record harvests in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, the flow of cocaine to Europe is currently increasing massively. "Three smuggling corridors concern us in Upper Austria: the German A 3 highway with its extension Innkreisautobahn and Westautobahn as well as the German A 7 highway with branches in the direction of Upper Austria. In addition, the Pyhrn freeway towards south-eastern Europe is a smuggling hotspot," warns Upper Austrian People's Party regional managing director Florian Hiegelsberger.

In 2023, 6.3 kilos of cocaine were seized in Upper Austria, in 2021 it was "only" 3.5 kilos. Hiegelsberger calls for "political and social solidarity against drugs and drug cartels".