Germany’s hidden organized corruption threat

In February 2021, 16 tonnes of cocaine were seized in Hamburg –  Europe’s largest cocaine seizure to date. Since then, there have been numerous other seizures at Europe’s third-largest seaport, as the flow of cocaine into Germany continues unabated. But the 2021 case has grabbed the headlines for a different reason: it appears to be ­connected to a corruption scandal that has sent shockwaves through the German criminal justice system.

In late 2024, the lead public prosecutor in the Hamburg cocaine case, a member of the Hanover Prosecution Service, was arrested on corruption-related charges, as reported by public news broadcaster NDR.

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