A spectacular find in a former sports hall causes excitement in a small town in Lower Saxony.
The FBI is also involved in the action.
Sachsenhagen - When the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is mentioned, one inevitably thinks of the USA and the big wide world.
The agency hunts criminals in the land of opportunity.
But the FBI is also active outside of the United States, after all, criminal persons and organizations have long been networked around the world.
The community members of Sachsenhagen recently had to learn that one can also be targeted by the US authorities in a small 2000-inhabitant town in Lower Saxony.
The reason was the alleged drug deals of an international gang - to which a local politician is said to have belonged.
Sachsenhagen: FBI draws LKA Lower Saxony's attention to drug cultivation in an old tennis hall
The Hanover public prosecutor's office responsible for the case is currently preparing an indictment against a total of eight people.
According to the findings of the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in Lower Saxony, the accused are said to have operated a professional drug plantation in a former tennis hall.
According to the LKA, the harvest of illegal plants was plentiful, and the gang presumably cultivated almost 400 kilograms of marijuana worth around four million euros.
In May, the 2500 square meter former tennis hall was stormed by special forces from the LKA.
FBI employees from the USA did the preparatory work for the operation and provided their German colleagues with valuable information.
The LKA struck gold during the raid and found 4,107 cannabis plants in the drug plantation.
Sachsenhagen: LKA lifts drug plantation - local politicians probably among the accused
After the illegal “nursery” was stormed, four Germans and four Bulgarians were arrested in the course of the investigation.
The eight suspects are currently in custody.
According to the
picture, there is
also a man
among the German prisoners who is
said to have previously volunteered as a local politician.
He is also said to be the operator of the former tennis hall.
In addition, a former sergeant major and Afghanistan veteran of the Bundeswehr is said to be among the accused.
The gang, which has meanwhile been imprisoned, was discovered through the FBI secret operation "Trojan Shield".
With the action, the US agency infiltrated criminal organizations around the world.
In order to exploit the networks, FBI agents tried to bring so-called crypto cell phones into criminal circles among the people.
Drug discovery in Sachsenhagen: FBI infiltrates gang with prepared crypto cell phones
The operation was successful and brought around 12,000 supposedly bug-proof cell phones into circulation. These were equipped with the “Anom” encryption app. But instead of being able to exchange information anonymously about criminal activities, the owners of the relevant devices were bugged by the FBI around the clock. The alleged cannabis breeders operating in the Lower Saxony province are also said to have fatally “Anom” - as well as hundreds of criminals in a total of 16 countries.
The FBI made the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) aware of what was going on in the former tennis hall.
The incriminating material migrated from the BKA to the LKA, which initiated an aerial surveillance of the hall by helicopter with a thermal imaging camera.
Then the access took place.
Now the citizens of Sachsenhagen can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The tranquil place in the Schaumburg district is no longer in the FBI's crosshairs.
(kh)
