The “Frankfurt Mafia” - Police traced the heroin all the way back to Afghanistan
Eurasia Review
Macedonia Arrests 29 In Trafficking Sting
Seized heroin packages are displayed by Macedonian police near Gevgelija. [Reuters]
Three alleged ringleaders of a massive international drug trafficking network are among the 29 people arrested in a recent sting by Macedonian police, with the help of their German and Austrian colleagues.
Nicknamed the “Frankfurt Mafia”, the group had strong links to the town of Veles and other locations in Macedonia, authorities say.
“It is assumed that the group belonged to the dealer network which has succeeded in the past years to sell drugs on the streets of Vienna and Frankfurt, worth millions of euros,” said Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska. “All participants of the network who served as street dealers of heroin were paid for travel expenses, accommodations and food and a percentage of the sold heroin.”
Police action took place in Sveti Nikole, Veles and Gevgelija. Those arrested include Vlade Manaskov of Veles and two Skopje residents, Spase Dimkovski and Tomce Dimkovski. Police suspect they played a pivotal role as organisers.
Fourteen luxury cars were seized in the sting, along with dozens of computers, over 50,000 euros and 157,000 denars, two kilos of marijuana, and 25 small packages containing illegal drugs.
The group, authorities say, was a highly sophisticated operation distributed among individuals or decentralised cells. Many dealers were unaware of each others’ identities and simply received their instructions by phone.
“People do not know each other because of greater security for them and for the bosses, and in case of penetration of the network. They got orders via telephone where and in which apartment [to] find drugs, how to process it, pack up and where to take it,” said Ljubco Todorovski, director of the public security bureau.
The police attaché at the Austrian Embassy, Stefan Turner, said that as many as 69 Macedonian citizens have been arrested on drug charges as a result of co-ordinated action among the Macedonian, Austrian and German police.
Indeed, many families in Veles have reportedly filed complaints about the arrests, saying their children are being imprisoned on drug charges in Austria and Germany and handed sentences of up to 15 years.
According to unofficial statistics, approximately 40 people from Veles have been implicated in drug trafficking. Sources in the town told SETimes that the network was originally active in Vienna, then moved to Frankfurt due to fears of a bust.
When the coast was perceived as clear, the gang moved back to Vienna.
Some of those who worked in Frankfurt built big houses in Veles and bought expensive cars, said local residents, who asked not to be identified.
By Marina Stojanovska
About the author:
SETimes
The Southeast European Times Web site is a central source of news and information about Southeastern Europe in ten languages: Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, English, Greek, Macedonian, Romanian, Serbian and Turkish. The Southeast European Times is sponsored by the US European Command, the joint military command responsible for US operations in 52 countries. EUCOM is committed to promoting stability, co-operation and prosperity in the region.
source: Eurasia Review
Police in three countries take on 'Frankfurt Mafia' drug ring
Police in Austria, Germany and Macedonia say they've dealt a major blow against a Macedonia-based drug gang which they say is responsible for most of the heroin trade in Frankfurt and Vienna.
A joint operation involving Austrian, German and Macedonian police this week broke up a major drug ring in Central and Eastern Europe, resulting in dozens of arrests.
Authorities in Vienna on Thursday said police in Austria and Macedonia had conducted coordinated raids on Wednesday and arrested 29 people suspected of being gang ring-leaders. They said that since their coordinated effort began in 2007, police have made more than 300 arrests in Germany and 69 in Austria.
Officials said the gang is based in Macedonia and quickly took over the heroin trade in Frankfurt and Vienna by violently forcing out rival gangs. The ring has been dubbed the Frankfurt Mafia and is especially active in the German banking center and in the Austrian capital.
The cities are at the end of what the United Nations has called the "Balkan Route," along which heroin from Afghanistan is smuggled into Western Europe via Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and other Balkan countries before ending up on the streets of Western Europe's major cities.
Ongoing operation
Police traced the heroin all the way back to Afghanistan
General Franz Lang, who heads the Austrian Bureau of Criminal investigation, said the operation had been underway for months.
"I believe this is the biggest-ever hit that we've carried out in Austria and neighboring countries," he said. "It concerns a very dangerous group - with effective structures - well organized."
According to police, the Frankfurt Mafia was able to penetrate the market so quickly by selling high-quality heroin at what was described as a reasonable price. Their profit in Vienna alone was estimated at 80,000 euros ($105,000) a day.
Lang said that while heroin was the gang's main business, it was also involved in other criminal activity.
"The group was successful in organizing transport out of Afghanistan," he said. "And of course other crimes go along with that - from extortion to robbery to smuggling."
Justice officials in Vienna said their investigation was continuing and more arrests were likely.
Author: Kerry Skyring, Vienna (acb)
Editor: Chuck Penfold
source: www.dw-world.de/
Macedonia Arrests 29 In Trafficking Sting
Seized heroin packages are displayed by Macedonian police near Gevgelija. [Reuters]
Three alleged ringleaders of a massive international drug trafficking network are among the 29 people arrested in a recent sting by Macedonian police, with the help of their German and Austrian colleagues.
Nicknamed the “Frankfurt Mafia”, the group had strong links to the town of Veles and other locations in Macedonia, authorities say.
“It is assumed that the group belonged to the dealer network which has succeeded in the past years to sell drugs on the streets of Vienna and Frankfurt, worth millions of euros,” said Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska. “All participants of the network who served as street dealers of heroin were paid for travel expenses, accommodations and food and a percentage of the sold heroin.”
Police action took place in Sveti Nikole, Veles and Gevgelija. Those arrested include Vlade Manaskov of Veles and two Skopje residents, Spase Dimkovski and Tomce Dimkovski. Police suspect they played a pivotal role as organisers.
Fourteen luxury cars were seized in the sting, along with dozens of computers, over 50,000 euros and 157,000 denars, two kilos of marijuana, and 25 small packages containing illegal drugs.
The group, authorities say, was a highly sophisticated operation distributed among individuals or decentralised cells. Many dealers were unaware of each others’ identities and simply received their instructions by phone.
“People do not know each other because of greater security for them and for the bosses, and in case of penetration of the network. They got orders via telephone where and in which apartment [to] find drugs, how to process it, pack up and where to take it,” said Ljubco Todorovski, director of the public security bureau.
The police attaché at the Austrian Embassy, Stefan Turner, said that as many as 69 Macedonian citizens have been arrested on drug charges as a result of co-ordinated action among the Macedonian, Austrian and German police.
Indeed, many families in Veles have reportedly filed complaints about the arrests, saying their children are being imprisoned on drug charges in Austria and Germany and handed sentences of up to 15 years.
According to unofficial statistics, approximately 40 people from Veles have been implicated in drug trafficking. Sources in the town told SETimes that the network was originally active in Vienna, then moved to Frankfurt due to fears of a bust.
When the coast was perceived as clear, the gang moved back to Vienna.
Some of those who worked in Frankfurt built big houses in Veles and bought expensive cars, said local residents, who asked not to be identified.
By Marina Stojanovska
About the author:
SETimes
The Southeast European Times Web site is a central source of news and information about Southeastern Europe in ten languages: Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, English, Greek, Macedonian, Romanian, Serbian and Turkish. The Southeast European Times is sponsored by the US European Command, the joint military command responsible for US operations in 52 countries. EUCOM is committed to promoting stability, co-operation and prosperity in the region.
source: Eurasia Review
Police in three countries take on 'Frankfurt Mafia' drug ring
Police in Austria, Germany and Macedonia say they've dealt a major blow against a Macedonia-based drug gang which they say is responsible for most of the heroin trade in Frankfurt and Vienna.
A joint operation involving Austrian, German and Macedonian police this week broke up a major drug ring in Central and Eastern Europe, resulting in dozens of arrests.
Authorities in Vienna on Thursday said police in Austria and Macedonia had conducted coordinated raids on Wednesday and arrested 29 people suspected of being gang ring-leaders. They said that since their coordinated effort began in 2007, police have made more than 300 arrests in Germany and 69 in Austria.
Officials said the gang is based in Macedonia and quickly took over the heroin trade in Frankfurt and Vienna by violently forcing out rival gangs. The ring has been dubbed the Frankfurt Mafia and is especially active in the German banking center and in the Austrian capital.
The cities are at the end of what the United Nations has called the "Balkan Route," along which heroin from Afghanistan is smuggled into Western Europe via Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and other Balkan countries before ending up on the streets of Western Europe's major cities.
Ongoing operation
Police traced the heroin all the way back to Afghanistan
General Franz Lang, who heads the Austrian Bureau of Criminal investigation, said the operation had been underway for months.
"I believe this is the biggest-ever hit that we've carried out in Austria and neighboring countries," he said. "It concerns a very dangerous group - with effective structures - well organized."
According to police, the Frankfurt Mafia was able to penetrate the market so quickly by selling high-quality heroin at what was described as a reasonable price. Their profit in Vienna alone was estimated at 80,000 euros ($105,000) a day.
Lang said that while heroin was the gang's main business, it was also involved in other criminal activity.
"The group was successful in organizing transport out of Afghanistan," he said. "And of course other crimes go along with that - from extortion to robbery to smuggling."
Justice officials in Vienna said their investigation was continuing and more arrests were likely.
Author: Kerry Skyring, Vienna (acb)
Editor: Chuck Penfold
source: www.dw-world.de/
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