German police launch raids on Iraqi organized crime gang Heavily armed police have carried out a series of coordinated raids on the homes of members of the 'Al-Salam-313' group. The targets are suspected of people smuggling as well as dealing in narcotics.

May 22, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) German police carried out early-morning raids at apartments in 11 cities on Wednesday as part of an operation targeting organized crime.

Hundreds of officers were involved in the raids in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, focusing on the Cologne area and the Ruhr Valley.

A spokeswoman for police in the city of Essen, Sylvia Czapiewski, said authorities targeted the homes of 34 suspects.

“We have been carrying out an investigation into a large group of people for some considerable time,” she said.

Those targeted were suspected of involvement in people smuggling, as well as trading in weapons, narcotics and false IDs. One person was arrested.

Read more.

Related Articles

Academics & Education

Germany: Muslim kindergarten loses appeal against closure State officials had ordered 'Al Nur' to close following revelations that inappropriate literature had been shared at the kindergarten. The day care center is the only Muslim kindergarten in Rhineland-Palatinate.

March 27, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) The only Muslim kindergarten in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate lost its appeal to stay open after an administrative court confirmed state officials’ concerns about the school’s ties to an Islamist ideology. The state’s decision to revoke Al Nur kindergarten’s license was […]

Children & Teens

Germany: Alleged IS terrorist goes on trial The German convert is accused of taking her three children to Syria without the knowledge or consent of their father. The eldest son, trained as a child soldier aged 7, is thought to have died in a 2018 rocket attack.

March 6, 2020   

(Deutsche Welle) A court in the western city of Düsseldorf … was scheduled Friday to hear a set of charges filed by federal prosecutors against a 32-year-old mother, accused of joining the Islamic State (“IS”) terrorist group. The woman, originally from Oberhausen […]