if you're watching the w news from berlin up next, we've got a documentary for you. the cocaine war is looking at germany's point against drug games on terry martin for me and all of us here. dw, thanks for watching. the name is the calls back, said loud. thank you so much for joining in. welcome to don't hold bad. a lot of people do that. it's all about saying it's loud. you guys, would it be nosy bay? like good everyone to king. check out the award winning called comment to hold back the bombings on the streets of germany. for if someone felt each copies of goods copy

minded in dolton cannot hide it exclusively. and then ask for them to let me finish this, be appreciated. the mafia, kind of the kind of guns and the spelling gift gig. now i'm just going to then i'm so she's done from black male to kidnappings and torture. criminal gangs have unleashed an unprecedented wave of drug related violence. due to this class of criminals is so violent that human lives ultimately don't matter. we should see the conflict over the highly lucrative cocaine business is escalating and german police have seized record amounts of the drugs. while in south america where it's produced, the drug cartels exert a terrifying level of power. and it's a war where europe is also on the front lines among the victims, a well known reporter in the netherlands. there so much money to tell someone like killed joining this kill lawyer. we base so much money, you know, in the netherlands, even the former prime minister in the royal family had been targeted by the cocaine . cartels is always coming to germany to mesquite searches of there have been cases

of prosecutors, judges and police investigators being threatened. meanwhile, via socrates are stepping up their efforts in this increasingly global war. at the end, it's like a fight that you cannot win the war against drugs who can never win the our journey begins in february 2024. we accompany each martina link vice president of germany's federal police agency and interior minister nancy phaser their visit to south america would take them to a number of major cocaine producing nations. def tv devices, such as the name of this trip, is to intensify our cooperation with countries of origin and trans. it states

tested by to see where we can provide support in the shape of equipment and training with movies of eyes and potentially via joint investigations. when can link this on the hopefully we'll be able to intensify discussions about the structures of these criminal groups in addition to the seizure scheme, because destroying those structures is what really matters to the german delegation touches down in ecuador, among the reasons for the trip was apparently, an urgent alert from authorities in the u. s. a warning of the cocaine cartels, increasing penetration of the german market. and suggesting berlin take rapid action to avoid losing the war against the drug producers. the level of danger involved is already clear to see in ecuador, the visitors are escorted everywhere by dozens of heavily armed police. an overnight stay has to be cancelled due to security concerns. as the cocaine cartels terrorized the country ecuador finds itself on the brink of becoming

a norco state. the, the deadly violence has become the norm here at st battles between heavily armed gangs and as well as fighting each other, they openly challenged the states authority. in january 2024 and ecuadorian prosecutor was shot dead in his car. he'd been investigating norco gangs, classifying 20 of them as terrorist organizations. just a few days earlier, one of the games had taken hostages at a university and broadcast their desperate cries for help. the all part of a wave of open intimidation and tear in another shocking demonstration of their

power, the gang eaten store, and a tv studio during a live broadcast. taking hostages. as state order continues to a road further, even more cocaine threatens to be shipped out of the country and off to europe. during their visit, the delegation from berlin reached an agreement with the ecuadorian government. the german criminal police agency will station a liaison officer in the country a further stop on the delegations trip peru after columbia. the world's 2nd biggest grower of the coca plant. the peruvian police share this video with us. it shows security forces rating and illegal drugs live in the middle of the jungle where cocaine is manufactured with very basic equipment.

the footage shows dried cocoa leaves and an outdoor container. just one of many such facilities hidden away in the peruvian jungle. the cocaine is shipped abroad via the countries ports, including here in the capital lima. the german interior minister and her team are here to get a 1st hand look at the situation and to see what they can do to limit the export of cocaine on general. same non louisa diaz heads peruse anti narcotics unit bid on the we were permitted to accompany his team as they conducted checks at the port. their inspections involve sniffer dogs and cameras that can be inserted into shipping containers. they're telling me that we're looking for parcels and packages that look different than the rest of the goods inside the team had no success today, they found no cocaine. in the most of those days, our task is to fold them in to,

to find the drugs and catch those responsible for them as well. cuz we liaise with foreign drug and force and agencies to say and which is important because it's the only way of being able to identify major drug trafficking. organize ation is see, and it's getting the knowledge the guns are based. nothing through but rather than the countries of destination. okay. starting in the face, it is the non profit margins of the cartels are enormous, where it's produced in various south american countries. aquino, of cocaine sales for around the equivalent of $2300.00 euros. after being transported to europe, primarily by c, that same kilo is worth $37000.00 bureaus. and once it reaches the streets of germany, for example, the market value is even double that. it's a business worth billions and the cartels are currently flooding the market with a drug in 2023 alone. the german authorities secured $43.00 tons of record hall,

some of which ends up with gabe. you'll him chief toxicologist at the high security lab of the german federal criminal police agency. he and his fellow analysts are finding that the cocaine arriving in germany is becoming more and more sure in quality. because in some of the cool, as seen in the graph behind me and we went on the samples, we're seeing right now have an active substance and content of around 90 percent. that's a significant rise over the past 10 to 20 years old stuff. we're also seeing that the difference between the wholesale quality and st samples is minimal. what if anything has been developed and only modest. the bows indicate a growing volume of cocaine arriving in germany. back in peru, successful raids like this one in drug producing countries are few and far between the cartels labeled their goods. according to country of destination, dispatch appears to have been bound for germany, marked with swats, because

a symbol now bound and the country. on this stage of the trip to south america, the german interior minister signs a security agreement with a peruvian government without cooperation of this kind. masses of cocaine will continue to reach germany, says martina link of the federal criminal police agency to speak online and conduct . our agency cannot prevent this on its own. a good minds and everything we've said has been fortunately confirmed by our colleagues, that it's only possible if we all work together at all levels of an evening. while also visiting brazil, the german interior minister arranged for the creation of joint investigation teams similar to those already operating in the european union. this stuff on her tour is again marked by massive security precautions. even the visiting delegations, luggage is checked by sniffer dogs. during

the flight home to germany, the minister expresses her concerns get that one that's via the aim is to combat international cocaine trafficking. and the a company in spiral of violence became easy. and we're already seeing the consequences of this terrible trade in our neighbors. and the netherlands in belgium, in vest dot com. and that's something i definitely want to prevent coming to germany. we think that nonsense say, you know, and it's in the netherlands where turf wars over the cocaine trade have become particularly brutal. this is only one of over a 1000 detox involving explosives in the netherlands in 2023, 3 times as much as the previous year. olden moore has broken out between rival games with innocent victims, seen nearly as collateral damage. few people have as good an insight into the

criminal world at the depths, drugs market as vito. she'll crew that he's a defense lawyer and amsterdam is clients include king pins, dealers and middleman. they're bombing each other's houses. this is probably threatening also for neighbors. you know, because people are innocent of getting shop, also getting bombed. so this is a big problem. and you see that with all these big money also comes big files because it's about a lot of things. you know, it's not about just some couple of 1000 journals, but millions of years they have so much money to tell someone like kill joining this kill ally, we baby, so much money. you know, the violence is also a warning to the government and public to interfere with games activities at their own peril. the highest profile victim to date was painted to freeze and investigative journalist who began comparing the netherlands to a narco state back in 2018. soon enough,

there was an attack on the newspaper he worked for. his murder in 2021 was a contract killing, issued by the macro mafia, a collection of gangs whose members largely have moroccan roots. a number of their attacks and the netherlands have been captured on camera, the veto should crew that had warned peter to freeze about the mafia. the reporter had publicly supported a key witness for the prosecution in an organized crime trial. i felt like maybe he did not know what he's dealing with because i know what he's dealing with and these people, they are very vicious. so i told him like, listen um, are you sure that you want to do this? because these people are vicious, they will kill you, they will not ask or trenton you, they will immediately kill you, you know. and then he said to me, like if i don't do it, i can not look myself into the mirror. both the lawyer representing the key witness

and his uninvolved brother had already been murdered. and now to freeze within the firing line. a courtroom sketch of the accused. the dutch authorities were able to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the murder via text messages and security camera footage. july 6th 2021. well pay to freeze was doing a tv interview in this building. his killers were waiting outside with the shoot or being issued instructions from accomplices. do a good job of it. don't mess this up. bro. i'm going to blow this all through his body. to man served as lookouts at this fast food outlets right across from the rear exit door of the tv station to freeze is seen leaving the building and walking down the street in downtown to amsterdam, followed by the 2 lookouts. the shooter was waiting at the end of the street on the

steps, receiving no response from him. his accomplices were becoming agitated and his he's still not there to freeze, walked past the man with a gun who then opened fire at close range. 5 shots can be heard on the surveillance footage. right afterwards, the shooter texted done. he's dead. you sure? how many shots did you fire, or 4 or 5 is dead? no sweat brother. i shot him twice in the head. an accomplice recorded video footage of the aftermath as proof of the phrases death. the reporter, lying motionless on the street as police attempt to resuscitate him. shortly afterwards, he's a come to his wounds in the hospital. his death left

a nation in shock with thousands of people lining up to pay to freeze their last respects. the dutch king even spelled out the dimensions of the crime doesn't cause a lot of talking journalism, the cornerstone of the rule of law, and therefore an attack on the rule of law. we have stuff and those ongoing attacks or having an impact. another cornerstone of the rule of law is protection for witnesses, but in the netherlands, one that is crumbling. i don't want to do this, i'm not defending crowd window. so because i know that in this mafia thing, this is aligned not to be trust. so if i would say i'm going to help a cry witness, then it's no limits then they can kill me. i know the state is looking outside our borders in the, in other countries to off. if lawyers are willing to represent chrome, when does this in holland, because here we don't want to do it because it doesn't way up the risk 1st as the

benefits, the criminals have not shied from threatening. the royal family either. gang members reportedly planned to a duct princess, amalia prompting her family to insist that she abandoned her studies in amsterdam and return to the royal palace. the cocaine mafia also had plans to kidnap mark wrote to after the vin dutch prime minister had announced special funding for the fight against the cartels. gang leaders started tracking his movements. this police re brought home just how brutal the criminals are. inside the building, a set of shipping containers converted into a mixture of prison with a sound proof torture chamber. in a low to the vows simple gosh, we found 7 containers is a 6 were set up a selves where people could be tied out. the payments and the other one was designed as a torture chamber with all those months. got the 2nd building,

and ron or dan, i think may have served as a base for the criminals. i told boss just 4 days coming with the rate here it days . and we were able to prevent a number of violent acts difficult. the brutality of the dutch drug cartels knows no bounds or borders and has now crossed over into germany. cologne, july 2024 again adapted to of its own members and held them captive in this building . they tortured them to find a suspected traitor in their ranks. while filming the ordeal. reactive visited the the hostages were eventually fried by a special police unit who also seized a cache of fire arms. 7 men were subsequently arrested,

but the 3 suspected leaders were able to flee to the netherlands. the kidnappings were linked to the fact of 300 kilos of marijuana from the storage room, with an estimated market value of 1500000 euros. investigators believe the drugs belong to the so called micro mafia. the thieves evidently from a rival gang. the resulting tour for is a 1st in germany. the man behind this attack is believed to have come over from the netherlands of the one in a series of bombings the meeting. and then ask, come to see like, for these are to it. so i not exclusive from on folks. the scope is off, codes potty minus. i'm in dolton tonight by the exclusive and then asked me to when pens to should be able. chevy the mouse. yeah. kind of the kind of good. and then the spelling. get gig now onto the concord and associates. then you go to the local

mafia of what and also you know, who indeed suzanne, my tongue all phone. the violence involved in the conflict is assuming a new quality in germany was a dozen bombings, cologne at the center, but also spreading to other locations in the state of north run was paleo the perpetrators also target stores and apartment buildings showing little concerned for potential casualties. among innocent bystanders, the vision, you know, it's probably the loan police department is facing major challenges. do to increase the depth of the cases of violent to organized crime, to the for the new one i can say about the perpetrators is that there is a proven connection to judge criminal us coach can see how the i can assembling with investigations ongoing. the police are reluctant to provide further details. we talk to an expert on organized crime in germany.

oliva who takes us to one of the crime scenes and the term for the modern media harbor district in the city of this will to off, not far from cologne. august 19th, 2024 surveillance camera footage shows an individual designating an explosive device before running away. presumably, a warning to one of the residents, an upscale neighborhood, and many people here preferred to remain anonymous. this building has no names displayed by the entrance, but the mafia have their spies, you know, lock. they have people who gather information for them. individuals who are their eyes and ears on the ground, they talk to people and pay the money to provide information, arm loan and get the kind of eventually, they'll track down the building. they're looking for house. it's a believe a who has himself been a person of interest for the mafia due to his work. as a police investigator, every court testimony and statement makes him

a potential target was a lot of them. you have to be aware that there are people sitting in the dock who don't benefit from me test to find it or nobody sent that. they'd prefer me not to be there either. so you have to keep in mind that they wish you har button to see. i mean with this for 6 months after the trip to south america, we meet up again with martina link from germany's federal criminal police agency. the situation in germany may not be comparable with that in south american countries, but martina link confirms that here to the cartels or targeting senior figures from the store, these mesquite searches up for her to those. there are cases of prosecutors, the judges and police investigators being threatened to be put in the criminal organizations, are doing everything in their power to consolidate their profit margins and their spheres of influence. back in the netherlands,

vito's you kula is getting ready for a court case. today, the suspected perpetrators behind the murder of journalist peter to freeze are due to be sentenced. to kula is defending one of the accused. the i think it's the biggest case of course have done other murder cases. i'm doing automotive cases about this case is neck to level because of the, the, the big, the greatness of big data for easy was such a huge persona in holland. i was awesome to defend one of these guys, and i 1st said no, because i felt personally involvement by that if he's was not my friend, but i felt like i knew him. but on a professional level, i have to do my job 2 hours before the verdict, veto shall crew that goes directly into the high security courtroom, known as the bunker. the trial is guarded by special heavily

on police. the defendants are driven straight to the basement of the building on the dock today or the 9 man accused of involvement in the murder of the freeze. their alleged to have acted on behalf of the macro mafia or the trial has revealed that some of the men had never met each other before and had been hired solely for this one. john. some had no previous police record, and some had not even known who painted freeze was the court passes down link the jail sentences 10 years for v to she quoted last client. and 28 years for the gunman who had been offered 100000 euros to carry out the contract killing for the narcotics mafia says, recruiting young people from vulnerable backgrounds or an easy source of recruits.

and they just see it as a way to make money which is concerning, of course, because what goes on a young people's mind that they think that they can kill someone. um and then getting money for it. you know, like, it's like a job for some people, which is very concerning. a job that now even school children are being recruited for within the organization. think that's what these children. because if they get caught, they don't know us because we have a middle man in between. we don't have to pay them a lot and they get low sentences. so now we see children, even girls, small girls like $5016.00, go in there to try to fetch copay and it's very dangerous, of course, for them. that's the lore of the gang seen, is further glamorize by influencers and wrappers. the promise of a luxurious lifestyle is attempting one for many in the netherlands as in germany and elsewhere. but to get

a foot and a lucrative cocaine trade, you 1st need some start up capital in the space of just 9 years. some 3000 cash machines in germany were blown open. are also leading bystanders. terrified the by the police are no doubt that the majority of the atm robberies are connected to cocaine. gangs, only about who takes us to a bank branch in desoto that suffered that very fate. does it? so to push for it's a typical set up for a local bank with the atm on the ground floor and families living above it from you . you can see people there right now who should bedroom probably on the right. so i strongly shut off. and when a fire breaks out after the explosion, i imagine getting the family out through the front door when on things like you to challenge for firefighters. so if we find there have been cases of buildings catching on fire on top hunts. you ask him,

leon hits the narcotics division of the german national criminal police agency. is sure that recruiting teenagers to carry out the attacks is a deliberate ploy on the part of the cocaine cartels. because that's called the social media plays must have rolled into recruitment of young people for criminal activities in the dock to be taking the fault. that is not to the advantages that if they get caught up there, try it. as minors go with it. so they don't spend much time in jail and can easily be replaced by basically a constant source of recruits. and many of the gangs now established in the netherlands are expanding operations and the violence across the border to germany . based on both state, based on the thought it was with us to get among spring, most of the atm high sweeping scene in germany can be attributed to dutch national center for thoughts on the good thoughts of fluids. our findings show that groups

of criminals based and roger time direct are majorly involved. and of course on as the atm as in germany are not as well protected and are an easy mark for the dutch gangs. and the criminals are just as ruthless when making their getaway back to the netherlands or the farm. the copper sided them up. they turn off their headlines when they drive onto a highway to prevent us from seeing and identifying them with a st focal mega. and they simply don't care, no risk is too great for them. it is going to be going called that. how many they also deactivate the airbags so that single so that if there's a police car ahead, they can ram their way through. and for that, you need the airbags to be switched off. the expansion of the drug gangs operations has led to the market being flooded with cocaine from south america. and while there is now better cooperation and communication between different national agencies, the cartels are always a step ahead. loud music. do you personally believe that this fight against the

cartels can never be one to buy? so between one f, one we can probably not tell the vision to the crucial thing is that we take the necessary measures to deprives these criminal groups. if they're money, good and seen removing drugs from the markets and making arrest, last name, that's we do to the 1st name. but the last time that we're not seeing a meaningful decline in the amount of narcotics available home to end up having 2000 of these, there are no winners any way from you. and we're seeing families being destroyed, you know, concluding those of the criminals. be the new and teenagers from those families who will never have a chance of leading a normal decent life. and you know, there are only losers. an escape new for you that are still a lot of cocaine coming in. people still are using it. it's not like people are not using it anymore. you know? so at the end, it's like a fight that you cannot win the war against drugs. you can never win the

the of the the what thing is that, what do you get for $0.50 or $0.50? no. 6 thinking come sales lots and lots of stuff. did you know it costs $0.50 to feed one hungry child for one for the evening.

with the share of the meal, you can share your video with children with just $0.50 and a tap on your smartphone. together we can end global hunger. please download the imagine you log into your online banking one day and your account is completely drain filled out by the likes of cyber criminals. identity theft is on the rise with really implications for people like you and me. but how do these criminals operate, and how can we protect ourselves from attacks one way as grandma's, nor in the victims, by impersonating celebrities like even musk frosts. those have long tried capitalizing on the name of the u. s. entropy under more on that later. but just recently a defect of even moscow stream to over several hours on youtube drawing tens of thousands of you. busy take.