In a sweeping blow to international drug networks, Vienna police have dismantled a cross-border smuggling ring, arresting seven suspects and seizing a staggering 124.5 kilograms of illegal drugs, along with over €650,000 in cash, firearms, and forged documents. The operation, led by Vienna’s elite street crime unit, unfolded in early and mid-April across Vienna and Lower Austria, reported by “Kurier”.
The first breakthrough came on April 2, when officers arrested a 52-year-old Ukrainian man in the Leopoldstadt district. Acting on a tip, authorities discovered he had been moving large sums of cash between Bratislava and Vienna. A key found on him led investigators to a hidden “cash bunker” apartment, where they uncovered stacks of euros, Ukrainian currency, and Russian rubles.
Later that day, a 22-year-old Austrian—suspected of working as the Ukrainian’s money courier—was caught with hundreds of thousands in cash. His home revealed even more money, a shotgun with ammunition, a gas-powered pistol, and a forged ID.
Investigators soon identified a 41-year-old Serbian national believed to be the operation’s mastermind. A raid on a Vienna apartment linked to him turned up 5.5 kilograms of cocaine, firearm parts, and more cash.
Additional searches netted three more suspects—men aged 26, 27, and 73—of Austrian and Syrian backgrounds. Police recovered further cash and evidence tying them to the network.
On April 11, the operation expanded with arrests in Simmering and Vösendorf. Three Slovakians and a Hungarian man were taken into custody. A truck carrying 119 kilograms of marijuana and other drugs was stopped, while another suspect was caught arriving with €330,000 in cash.
Authorities say the smugglers used encrypted messaging apps to coordinate shipments from Spain. Vienna’s southern criminal division continues to investigate the sprawling drug ring.
