The Mönchengladbach police set up the investigation team in February 2023 to target the local drug scene in Mönchengladbach and Rheydt. "Crimes against the Narcotics Act and associated drug-related crimes can thus be consistently prosecuted," explained Senior Criminal Investigator Marc Pawleta, who presented the objectives of the EG EuPa as Head of Criminal Investigation Department 1.

The close cooperation with the Mönchengladbach public prosecutor's office, which was represented at the press conference by public prosecutor Simone Braam, was also particularly emphasized. With 31 provisional arrests, the public prosecutor's office applied for and obtained pre-trial detention against the suspects at the local court. Enforcement arrest warrants were issued for three other people.

Major Superintendent Marcel von Dahlen from the Crime Directorate's command center reported a total of 45 provisional arrests and 207 criminal charges filed by the EC's investigators. The estimated street value of the seized narcotics is around 86,000 euros. The officers deployed by the EC, which Marcel von Dahlen himself headed up until September, also imposed 46 area entry bans and have since punished 16 offences against them - a further step on the way to restricting the group of people responsible for the offences.

The Mönchengladbach police want to stabilize the situation around the main station and calm the situation in Rheydt through high control pressure. In view of the results so far, Head of Criminal Investigation Marc Pawleta expects the ongoing activities to "bring about a lasting improvement in the situation at the main railway station and in Rheydt city center."