Bags with a ton of cocaine washed up on Borkum

Drugs found on North Sea island - Bags with a ton of cocaine washed up on Borkum

On the eastern Frisian North Sea island of Borkum, a large quantity of drugs has been discovered. A tourist had already found several suspicious bags tied together with a life vest on the beach in April and alerted the police. Now, the public prosecutor's office in Aurich has confirmed that a total of approximately one tonne of cocaine was found in the bags. This is one of the largest known drug finds at the Lower Saxony North Sea coast in recent years. The NDR and "Nordwest-Zeitung" reported on this earlier.

The investigations have been taken over by the Federal Criminal Police, a spokeswoman for the Aurich Public Prosecutor's Office told the German Press Agency in response to an inquiry. "We are investigating in all directions." The spokeswoman refused to make further statements. Where the packages came from, why they ended up on the beach, and whether there might be suspects in the investigation, remained open.

The discovery of the bags had already become known through media reports in April. However, the investigating authorities had kept it open until then whether there were actually drugs in the packages.

Drug finds at the eastern Frisian coast before

The NDR and "Nordwest-Zeitung" reported that the investigators initially suspected a possible connection to the arrest of two suspected drug smugglers in March on a cutter off Cuxhaven. This suspicion was not confirmed by the investigators, however.

At the eastern Frisian North Sea coast, drugs in bags have been discovered and washed up several times in recent years. For example, workers discovered 25 kilograms of cocaine at a dike edge in the Aurich district in 2021. On the island of Baltrum, a similar amount of drugs was found shortly beforehand. In the spring of 2017, cocaine packets were also found on island shores.

Where the cocaine in these bags came from remained unclear. Previous statements by investigating authorities suggest that drug packets are thrown overboard from large ships in the North Sea and later brought to shore by smaller boats. The bags could have been lost in the process.

1. The BKA is now involved in the investigation of the drug find on Borkum, as confirmed by the Aurich Public Prosecutor's Office.
2. The discovery of such a large quantity of cocaine in the North Sea is a significant crime that has raised concerns along the North Sea coast in Lower Saxony.
3. The NDR and NWZ reported that the cocaine find on Borkum could be linked to criminal activities taking place in Aurich or along the North Sea coast.
4. The public prosecutor's office in Aurich is working closely with the local police and the BKA to investigate the source of the drugs and identify any potential suspects.
5. The North Sea, with its vast expanse and busy shipping lanes, has become a hotspot for drug smuggling, as evidenced by the frequent discoveries of drug-filled bags on North Sea islands like Borkum and Baltrum.
6. The authorities have begun a widespread search for any potential connections between the drug finds along the North Sea coast and organized crime syndicates operating in the region.
7. The BKA and the police in Aurich and Lower Saxony are urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities along the North Sea coast to help combat the growing drug problem in the region.

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