Germany Faces Record Drug Deaths and Cocaine Flood as Organised Crime Advances

Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has presented the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) annual reports on organised crime and drug-related offences for 2025, warning that the situation is deteriorating rapidly.

Cocaine Flood and Record Deaths

Dobrindt described an unprecedented surge in cocaine trafficking, using the phrase "cocaine flood" to characterise the scale of the problem. Around 10 tonnes of cocaine were seized across Germany in 2025, with approximately two thirds intercepted at German ports. The number of drug-related deaths rose to 2,150 — an increase of 13 compared to 2024 — marking a new record.

The minister highlighted that children are increasingly being exploited as low-level criminals by organised crime networks, a trend he described as particularly alarming.

Money Laundering and Organised Crime

BKA President Holger Münch outlined the financial dimension of organised crime in Germany. In 2025, investigators identified 195 money laundering cases with a total volume of nearly 1.4 billion euros. Proceeds from criminal activity are frequently invested in real estate to conceal their origin.

Drug trafficking remains by far the most lucrative illegal business for internationally networked criminal organisations, according to BKA data. The joint presentation of the BKA chief, the interior minister and the federal drug commissioner underlined the interconnected nature of the threats Germany faces from organised crime and the narcotics trade.