Pizza, the new twist in drug trafficking

Admin I Tuesday, October 22, 2024

 

DUSSELDORF – A pizzeria in the German city of Dusseldorf delivered pizzas with a side of cocaine to customers, German police said on Monday after arresting the 36-year-old restaurant operator.

The pizzeria, located in Dusseldorf’s historic old town centre, allegedly listed the special pizza as option No. 40 on the menu.

“That was one of the best-selling pizzas,” senior police officer Michael Graf von Moltke said in a statement.

When police officers rang the doorbell of the 36-year-old’s flat to arrest him last Thursday, he is said to have thrown a bag of drugs out of the window.

“It fell right into the arms of the police officers,” Graf von Moltke said.

In total, police seized 1.6 kilograms of cocaine, 400 grams of cannabis and €268,000 ($291,000) in cash.

During further investigations, police officers came across three suspected drug suppliers and 12 other suspects.

A total of 150 police officers were deployed last week in raids across the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes Dusseldorf.

Police also discovered two cannabis growing operations in the nearby cities of Mönchengladbach and Solingen, and seized knives, cash and expensive watches.