Dutch drug gang reportedly invovled in hostage situation in Germany

Dutch drug criminals were involved in multiple recent explosions and a hostage situation in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, according to the German broadcaster WDR. The recent violence reportedly revolves around a shipment of stolen cannabis.

On Friday, the German police freed two hostages from a house in Cologne. The pair were abducted from a home in Bochum earlier that morning. The local authorities have arrested seven suspects in connection with the hostage situation.

The explosions happened at the end of June and early in July at buildings in Cologne, Engelskirchen, and Duisburg, among others.

On Tuesday, the German police announced that they’ve found indications that the explosions and hostage situation are linked and that Dutch criminals may be involved. WDR reported that this is a feud between Dutch and German drug criminals.

According to WDR, the feud revolves around 300 kilograms of cannabis. German drug criminals allegedly stole the shipment from Dutch criminals. The broadcaster also linked the recent violence to a fatal explosion in Solingen on June 25, in which a 17-year-old Dutch boy was killed.

Michael Esser of the Cologne police spoke of “a new dimension of violence in the field of organized crime.” Freeing the hostages from a home in the middle of a Cologne residential neighborhood was one of the most complicated operations for the North Rhine-Westphalia police in years, he told the news agency DPA. “The most extreme threat scenarios occurred,” he said, raising concerns about the danger to innocent bystanders.