Drug syndicate leader arrested in Sarajevo

Authorities have arrested the suspected leader of an international drug trafficking organization in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 34-year-old man is accused of managing a criminal group from the Hessen region of Germany, coordinating the distribution of narcotics across the European market.

The investigation, led by the Hessian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) and the Frankfurt Customs Investigation Office, follows the seizure of over 600 kilograms of various narcotics in April 2025. This seizure occurred in four vacant properties in Hessen—including Frankfurt am Main, Trebur, Niedernhausen, and Walluf—which were allegedly used as drug bunkers. The confiscated substances included approximately 350 kilograms of marijuana, over 200 kilograms of amphetamine, and around 186 kilograms of codeine.

The suspect is specifically accused of organizing the illegal import of at least 88 kilograms of cocaine from the Netherlands to Germany. The criminal group reportedly utilized couriers using vehicles equipped with professionally constructed hidden compartments to evade border controls.

In addition to the arrest in Sarajevo, where three firearms and ammunition were seized, seven other suspects were apprehended in Germany and Switzerland. German authorities are working to extradite the primary suspect for prosecution.