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Investigations into the arms trade: kiosk owners in the sights of the judiciary!
Investigations in Remscheid: Major weapons finds, kiosk owners and possible buyers in focus. What is behind the arms trade?
Investigations into the arms trade: kiosk owners in the sights of the judiciary!
Intensive investigations into an extensive arms trade are currently underway in Remscheid. Chief Public Prosecutor Wolf-Tilman Baumert informed the public about the status of the investigations. The focus is particularly on the possible connections of a kiosk owner from the city to illegal trade. Whether he is actually involved in the machinations remains unclear for the time being. However, numerous indications show that the investigators are also targeting possible buyers of the weapons. One person was identified in Hamm, while no one from Remscheid has so far been identified as a buyer. Three men aged 34, 37 and 59, as well as the aforementioned kiosk owner, have been in custody since Sunday.
This development sheds sharp light on the current crime situation in Germany. According to the latest figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office's Police Crime Statistics (PKS), the situation has changed in recent years. In 2024 there was a decrease of 1.7% to around 5.84 million crimes. A main reason for this is seen in the partial legalization of cannabis since April 2024, which has led to a decline in these crimes. Nevertheless, the number of crimes that put a strain on citizens' sense of security increased. The most common crimes are particularly relevant here, such as theft, property and forgery crimes, as well as brutality crimes and crimes against personal freedom.
Background information on current developments
A look at the current statistics shows that North Rhine-Westphalia had the highest crime rate in 2023. This could also put today's investigations in Remscheid into a broader context. The data collected by the PKS only reflects known crimes, while many crimes, especially sexual crimes, often go unreported. This increases the number of unreported crimes, which are described in crime research as unrecorded crimes. Anyone who has a good knack for statistics will quickly recognize the various facets of crime that often remain hidden from the public.
Given the large number of suspects identified - the number of suspects overall fell by 3% - insights into the profile of the perpetrators are of particular interest. For example, the proportion of non-German suspects has risen to 41.8%, which is further fueling debates about migration and integration. The number of people convicted is approximately 657,000, with 82% of those convicted being men. This makes it clear that crime cannot be explained by a specific event alone, but has deeper social causes.
It remains to be seen what further progress the investigations in Remscheid will bring. The pressure on the authorities is high and the public is eager for more information. It's not just about the criminal consequences for the suspects, but also about the citizens' sense of security, which is at stake in times of increasing crime.