Stuttgart - After Raid: Arrests due to series of violence
For over two years, the violent feud between two rival groups in the Stuttgart region has made headlines - now investigators report another success. During a raid, the apartments and in some cases workplaces of ten suspects were searched, according to the prosecutor's office and criminal investigation office. At least one of them is believed to be affiliated with one of the groups. Others belong to their closer circle of suspected criminals. Six arrest warrants were executed during the operation on the early Monday, it was reported. The "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and "Stuttgarter Nachrichten" were the first to report on this.
According to investigators, the eight men, aged between 22 and 31, and the two women, aged 20 and 23, are suspected of dealing in large quantities of drugs. They distributed paper impregnated with synthetic cannabis in a detention center, according to investigators. "To bring the cannabis-soaked paper into the detention center, it was reportedly disguised as lawyer's mail and sent to the detention center," the prosecutor's office and criminal investigation office stated.
A total of 15 objects were searched in Göppingen, Eislingen, Kirchheim unter Teck, Rechberghausen, and Stuttgart. The police secured, among other things, the suspected drug, tranquilizers, knives, a baton, and mobile phones. In one apartment, a sharp firearm and ammunition were found.
No classical gang crime
The groups - one of which is roughly associated with the regions of Esslingen, Ludwigsburg, and Plochingen, the other with the Stuttgart district of Zuffenhausen and Göppingen - are estimated by experts to have more than 500 members, mostly young people. According to the State Criminal Police Office, 74 suspected associates have been arrested so far. Over 200 search warrants have been executed, 31 firearms were confiscated, and around 50 knives were secured.
According to investigators, however, it is largely unclear why the two groups came together and why they are fighting so violently. It is not about family clans or classical gang crime, according to LKA President Andreas Stenger's assessment. Instead, the violence escalated due to mostly mutual insults, it's about territorial power claims and the motto "Crime as a Lifestyle" ("Crime as a Lifestyle"), with which many in the groups strongly identified. Drug trafficking also fits into this picture, according to investigators.
There has been peace for months
In the past few months, the number of mostly violent incidents in the feud has significantly decreased. According to a previous assessment by LKA President Andreas Stenger, this could also be due to the ongoing investigations and arrests, ongoing criminal proceedings, and the first judgments. The last incident occurred on December 12, when four to six masked individuals attacked an alleged opponent in Stuttgart and seriously injured him. On January 11, a hand grenade was found in Urbach. Since then, no crimes have been reported that can be attributed to the series.
- The police in Baden-Württemberg have been closely monitoring the violent series of events between the two groups in the Stuttgart region, following several high-profile incidents.
- The 'Stuttgarter Nachrichten' reported that the raids conducted by the police in Göppingen, Eislingen, Kirchheim unter Teck, Rechberghausen, and Stuttgart were in relation to the ongoing violent series.
- Despite the peace that has prevailed for months, the authorities have not relented in their efforts to dismantle the criminal network responsible for the violence series and drug trafficking.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office and the LKA (State Criminal Police Office) have been involved in the process (court), investigating multiple suspects linked to the groups.
- Some of the men and women arrested during the raids are suspected of dealing in large quantities of synthetic cannabis, which they allegedly distributed within detention centers, disguising the cannabis-soaked papers as lawyer's mail.
- The women arrested have also been implicated in the series of violent incidents, with their involvement contributing to the escalating territorial power claims and the 'Crime as a Lifestyle' motto.
- The spacious apartments and workplaces that were raided by the police were found to contain a range of illegal items such as firearms, ammunition, knives, and mobile phones, further highlighting the extent of the criminality in the groups.
- The 'Stuttgarter Zeitung' reported that the operation, which resulted in multiple arrests and seizures, was a significant step towards addressing the ongoing violent series and curbing the criminal activities associated with it.
