Three Austrian Men Arrested for Meth Trafficking

Three men from Linz are under investigation for “commercial” drug distribution, according to the National Police of in Liz. The National Police of Upper Austria explained, in a press release, that the men sold drugs between Summer 2015 and February 2017. However, only one of the three confessed to the crime.

The one suspect who admitted his guilt was a 21-year-old from Linz. The other two suspects, both from Upper Austria, were 25-years-old and 19-years-old. For a reason unknown or simply unannounced publicly, only the two eldest are still under investigation. Both the 19-year-old and 25-year-old partially denied the accusations. The 21-year-old, though, admitted his crimes during interrogations.

All three are still considered suspects, even if only two are under investigation. The Prosecutor’s Office of Linz charged the trio with drug trafficking on a large scale through February this year. The first charge is linked to the importation of 900 grams of speed or amphetamine. (The press release distinguished between the two but combined them for the 900 gram figure.) They ordered all 900 grams from the darknet, according to the investigators. They then used some portion of the amphetamine but sold the majority to “well-known customers” throughout the city of Linz.

They then trafficked “high-quality” crystal methamphetamine into Austria. Investigators wrote that the men brought the crystal meth into the country by car from the Czech Republic and from the Netherlands via the darknet. In total, they brought 250 grams of “high quality” crystal methamphetamine into Austria.

Most of the drugs found their way throughout Linz but the men used the drugs for themselves as well. According to the police, the men were drug addicts and financed their own addiction through the drug sales. Presumably, if they sold significantly more than they consumed, they collected a cash surplus. The police did not clarify if that money was also used for methamphetamine activities.

The details surrounding the arrest are vague. According to the official press release, the three were arrested following “judicially approved arrangements.” The multiple arrangements, were made at the behest of the Prosecutor’s Office of Linz. The investigation into the 21-year-old and 25-year-old is ongoing but the 19-year-old’s status is unclear as of June 14.

Notably, in late 2016, Austrian authorities arrested a 24-year-old amphetamine dealer. He ordered packages from a darknet vendor until Customs in Frankfurt intercepted a package. Austrian investigators announced that they had received a tip from an insider that led to the arrest of five more dealers. The additional five also bought from darknet markets and resold locally. The announcement revealed nothing further than that.