Several suspects in custody Drug investigators come across a huge arsenal in Euskirchen

Euskirchen/Aachen · Following a major raid in Euskirchen, the authorities are now disclosing background information. In addition to a professional drug plantation, the investigators also came across a huge stockpile of weapons. Meanwhile, the case is widening - with more raids and arrests.

 During a large-scale raid in Euskirchen, the task force had seized numerous drug plants and a large arsenal of weapons.

During a large-scale raid in Euskirchen, the task force had seized numerous drug plants and a large arsenal of weapons.

Foto: Ulrich Felsmann

Following a large-scale drug raid in Euskirchen, the public prosecutor's office and police in Aachen have announced the background to the case. In addition to the cannabis plantation in a hall on Willi-Graf-Straße, the police also raided two other plantations in Herzogenrath and in the municipality of Titz in the district of Düren, which may be connected to the discovery in Euskirchen.

Eleven people were arrested and are now in custody. It is still unclear whether one can speak of a gang, a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office said on Wednesday. Among the detainees are three suspects from Euskirchen - including the 50-year-old owner of the hall - and four men aged between 64 and 76 from Titz, who are said to have run the plantation there.

Investigators now report that on 19 October they came across a professionally run cannabis plantation in Euskirchen with more than 2300 marijuana plants ready for harvest and around 2000 cuttings. They also discovered an extensive arsenal in another hall on the premises and an outbuilding which the 50-year-old owner also used for residential purposes.

The police seized about 1000 weapons as well as weapon parts and ammunition. The seizure and transport of the weapons and their preliminary inspection alone took several days, it is said. The officers were supported by experts from the Bonn police, among others. The investigators now have evidence of more than 500 violations of the Weapons Act and eight violations of the War Weapons Control Act, which the 50-year-old man is accused of. A 34-year-old man, who is also alleged to have been involved in the drug plantation in Euskirchen, was arrested in Hungary. There the man had tried to leave with false papers.

In Titz, ten days after the raid in Euskirchen, officers found more than 1,600 marijuana plants. In Herzogenrath they found 135 more plants. According to the investigators' estimates, two of the cannabis plantations alone would have yielded a harvest of over 170 kilograms with an estimated street value of 1.5 million euros.

The investigators consider a 64-year-old man as urgently suspicious who is said to have brokered the properties in Euskirchen, Herzogenrath and Titz for a fee.

The investigations have apparently also been extended further. According to the public prosecutor's office, more than 25 objects have now been searched. Numerous items of evidence have been seized. Due to the extent of the investigations, the Aachen Police Headquarters has set up a six-member investigation team for this purpose. The authorities did not provide any further details for operational reasons.

(Original text: Andreas Dyck, with material from the dpa /Translation: Mareike Graepel)

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