Authorities unearth cocaine in Hamburg's harbor during investigations.

Illicit substances - Authorities unearth cocaine in Hamburg's harbor during investigations.

Narcotics officials in Germany reached an unprecedented milestone with the largest in-country seizure of cocaine ever recorded. Announced by the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office's Central Office for Organized Crime on a recent Friday, the bust was worth billions of Euros.

This impressive drug haul was initially unearthed at Hamburg Port last year and is said to consist of a whopping 35 tons. To combat the crime networks associated with this significant drug quantity, authorities conducted searches in several states—North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Hesse, and Lower Saxony—and arrested seven individuals earlier this week.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, law enforcement officers conducted raids in Bonn, Cologne, Leverkusen, and Wachtberg in the Rhein-Sieg-District. Bavaria saw searches take place in Munich, while in Hesse, Frankfurt was targeted. Brandenburg's Landkreis Märkisch-Oderland and Lower Saxony's Landkreis Heidekreis also experienced similar actions.

More information about this operation, dubbed "OP Plexus," and its aftermath will be shared publicly during a planned press conference on Monday.

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1. The record-breaking cocaine seizure in Hamburg's port last year sparked extensive investigations across several German states, including North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Hesse, and Lower Saxony.
2. The public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf, in cooperation with authorities in these states, conducted searches and arrested seven individuals linked to the massive drug haul.
3. In North Rhine-Westphalia, cities like Bonn, Cologne, Leverkusen, and Wachtberg in the Rhein-Sieg-District were major sites of these operations.
4. Bavaria's capital Munich was also targeted, while Hesse faced searches in Frankfurt, contributing to the larger-scale effort to dismantle the crime networks associated with the cocaine.
5. Authorities in Brandenburg and Lower Saxony, specifically Landkreis Märkisch-Oderland and Landkreis Heidekreis, also joined the operation, exhibiting a united effort to combat the threat of drugs in Germany.
6. Alongside the crackdown on cocaine operations, the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office is urging the public to stay vigilant against illegal drug activity and to report any suspicious activities to authorized authorities.
7. This extensive operation, referred to as "OP Plexus," serves as a reminder of Germany's commitment to addressing the issues of organized crime and drug trafficking, particularly in major port cities like Hamburg, where such threats can have far-reaching implications.

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