Drugs - Package with cocaine washes up on the Baltic Sea beach again
One week after a hiker found a package containing around 20 kilograms of cocaine at the Ostseestrand in Heiligenhafen (Kreis Ostholstein), similar packages have been discovered there again. "The packages are similar in appearance from the inside and outside," said Andreas Thaysen, Press Spokesperson of the Customs Investigation Office Hamburg, to dpa. A passerby reportedly reported the unusual beach litter to the police. Thaysen suspects a connection between the two expensive discoveries. "Such occurrences often happen, that there is cocaine in the Baltic Sea, but it is surprising." A kilogram of the drug reportedly costs around 40,000 Euro. International investigations are now being carried out to see if similar finds have been made in countries such as Sweden, Denmark or Poland. It is unclear who the recipient is and whether the transfer failed at a so-called drop-off point. In such cases, the drugs are thrown into the sea from moving ships and then brought to shore by smaller yachts. It is possible that the perpetrator is from Schleswig-Holstein - "and it could indicate that criminal structures are being supplied with cocaine here," said Thaysen. In addition, investigations are being carried out to determine which ship the loads of tranquilizers could have entered the Baltic Sea from.
Second Drug Find on the Beach
Most recently, a hiker reported to the police on July 2nd after discovering well-hidden beach litter. The Customs Investigation Office Hamburg is now investigating this in conjunction with the police and prosecutor's office. In this context, it is also being investigated how the package reached the beach.
The police warned against touching or taking such finds. The substances pose a health risk and there could be legal consequences. It should therefore be reported to the police and the find should be left unchanged.
- The value of a single kilogram of cocaine found on the Baltic Sea beach in Heiligenhafen, located in the District of Ostholstein, is estimated to be around 40,000 Euros.
- The second drug find at the Ostseestrand in Heiligenhafen this month has led the Customs Investigation Office Hamburg to suspect a connection with the prior discovery of 20 kilograms of cocaine.
- Despite occasional findings of drugs in the Baltic Sea, it's surprising to see such large quantities of cocaine near the Baltic Sea beach in Heiligenhafen.
- International investigations are underway to determine if similar drug finds have occurred in neighboring countries such as Sweden, Denmark, or Poland, as part of a larger international drug trafficking operation.
- The perpetrator behind these drug findings could potentially be from Schleswig-Holstein, suggesting the presence of criminal structures in the region that are being supplied with large quantities of cocaine.
