"Walhalla-Connection" moved 430 kilos of drugs: That's how the police caught the drug quartet from Bavaria

Created: 05/20/2022, 07:37

By: Stefan Aigner

The four accused with their defense attorneys in the large courtroom of the Regensburg Regional Court.

© Michael Bothner

Four men are currently standing before the Regensburg Regional Court for drug trafficking on a large scale - the so-called "Walhalla Connection".

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– 430 kilograms of drugs, estimated total value 2.3 million euros.

The four men who are currently on trial at the Regensburg Regional Court are said to have moved such amounts in less than twelve months.

Charges of drug trafficking in Regensburg: Kilos of "Grape Gelato" and "Cannabis Flower Jungle Boys"

Above all, the indictment lists marijuana products with nice-sounding names such as “Grape Gelato”, “Cannabis Flower Jungle Boys” or simply “Rabbit”.

In quantities of mostly several kilos at prices in the low six-digit range, orders were placed alternately from two sources in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Communication was carried out with crypto mobile phones via the encrypted messenger services EncroChat and SkyECC.

For a long time, these messengers were considered unbreakable and were therefore very popular with criminals.

But since French investigators managed to decrypt the chats and thus obtain data from tens of thousands of users, the investigative files are not only piling up in Regensburg.

This is also the case with the so-called “Walhalla Connection”, named after Walhalla Street in Neutraubling, which kept coming up during the investigations.

In Regensburg, a man was also on trial who is said to have stabbed his roommate.

He himself knew nothing more of the fact.

Investigations against "Walhalla Connection" in Regensburg: Telephones were tapped for months

Since autumn 2020, the criminal police have had their sights set on the drug quartet, tapping phones and monitoring chats.

In early 2021, the investigators took action and arrested the then 24-year-old Sebastian P. (all names have been changed) after returning from a drug deal in Berlin.

He and three of his accomplices have been in the dock since the beginning of April, originally charged with gang trafficking in narcotics.

The first two days of the trial were primarily determined by lengthy legal discussions between the criminal division, the public prosecutor's office and the defense attorneys.

In the course of which the four accused largely admitted the allegations - apart from a few details.

Charges against "Walhalla-Connection" in Regensburg: Cracked chats brought the breakthrough

Above all, the men deny the accusation that they acted as a gang.

They would have repeatedly placed orders together via the crypto cell phone of Jamal S., the main defendant.

However, there were never any concrete orders, joint agreements or buyers.

Everyone ordered for themselves and at their own expense.

In addition, a lot was intended for personal use.

While the latter may not seem quite as believable given the sheer volume, the gang allegation is now off the table.

He was on shaky ground from the start.

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The Frankfurt authorities were the first to roughly view the EncroChat data sets and came across the Regensburg address of Sebastian P. They informed the local authorities.

Phone tapping began.

The investigators then quickly became aware of other people via P. and expanded the investigation.

(By the way: Our brand new Regensburg newsletter will keep you regularly informed about all the important stories from the World Heritage city and the Upper Palatinate. Register here.)

Regensburg "Walhalla Connection": "Money regulates everything"

But even after Sebastian P.'s arrest, the other parties involved didn't quite believe that they would get it too.

For example, police officers could use the eavesdropper to overhear how two of the accused now exchanged views on silencing Sebastian P.'s parents - according to the motto "money regulates everything".

After arresting the other men, the police found more drugs in a Mercedes and several thousand euros in cash in a safe.

By evaluating the mobile phones, the investigators also found access data for SkyECC, another crypto messenger, and thus further evidence and even more documents.

Charges against "Walhalla Connection": The main defendant faces more than nine years in prison

The four men each face a several-year prison sentence – between four and a half and nine and a half years are currently in the room.

During the taking of evidence, it also became known that further investigations and proceedings against persons close to the accused were already under way or had already been brought to a conclusion.

A man is said to be on the run to this day – a tip from the judicial authority is said to have warned him.

It is not yet known who the mole was.

The proceedings before the 5th Criminal Court are now on the home stretch, and most of the evidence program has already been processed.

Also thanks for the confessions.

Nevertheless, the verdicts will not fall until mid-July.

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