Hamburg's drug war: dramatic increase in drug crime 2023

Hamburg's drug war: dramatic increase in drug crime 2023

Recently, drug crime has achieved alarming proportions in the port of Hamburg and is increasingly becoming a serious social problem. The numbers speak a clear language: in 2023 29 arrest warrants were issued against large drug dealers, with 24 such perpetrators being custody. The associated financial offenses add up to an estimated 36 million euros, which corresponds to an average of 1.5 million euros per person.

increasing drug sales: a worrying trend

A worrying aspect of this development is the massive increase in the confiscated drug sales. Compared to the previous year, in which 17.5 million euros in drug money were collected, an alarming increase of around 100 percent is shown. This trend is not only an indicator of the increasing crime, but also for the growing importance of Hamburg as a drug hub in Northern Europe.

The role of the port of Hamburg

The port of Hamburg has become particularly attractive due to increased controls in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp among drug dealers. This fact ensures that more and more illegal drugs arrive in the Hanseatic city. Jan Reinecke, the Hamburg state chairman of the Federation of German Criminal Civil Service, emphasizes the dramatic dimension by indicating the tons of cocaine that are smuggled over several billion euros over the port of Hamburg.

social effects and security measures

Politics is aware of the dangers that assume organized crime. The Senate has decided to create a port security center to take measures to combat drug trafficking. Hamburg's mayor, Peter Tschentscher, has already entered South America in crisis talks to find solutions for this problem. A recent explanation of the Senate states that "the considerable danger and threat potential for the state and society is very serious".

criticism and potential for improvement

Despite the measures taken, there is criticism of the existing framework. Reinecke points out that excessive data protection makes it difficult to investigate drug offenses and that Germany is therefore still the retreat for organized crime. Another point is the lack of specific “mafia laws”, as they exist in the USA or Italy. In Germany, criminals are only punished for the specific crimes and not for their membership in criminal associations.

The situation in Hamburg illustrates the urgent need for action in combating drug offenses and the associated organized crime. It remains to be seen how the authorities can react to these challenges and what measures are taken to ensure the security of citizens.

- Nag