Cologne police arrest ten in international arms smuggling raid

Authorities in Germany and Spain have arrested ten suspects as part of a crackdown on an alleged criminal network involved in smuggling illegal firearms and drugs. The Federal Criminal Police Office and Cologne police reported that the network primarily smuggled illegally produced firearms from Turkey into Germany.

Investigations suggest the distribution of these weapons was facilitated through Turkish cafes and shisha bars in the Cologne metropolitan area. The case originated from a January 2025 search in the Mülheim district of Cologne, where investigators discovered twelve semi-automatic weapons that were counterfeit replicas manufactured outside of legal production structures.

Cologne Criminal Director Michael Esser stated that the weapons were intended for criminal use. The investigation identified a cafe in Mülheim as a central meeting point where sales negotiations took place and weapons were handed over to customers.