Austrian authorities make 50 arrests in major drug bust

Austrian police have dealt a major blow to a drug-dealing ring in Vienna, making 50 arrests and seizing 21 kg of drugs, authorities announced Friday.

The gang, comprised mostly of Nigerian nationals, had allegedly been dealing cocaine and heroin since at least the end of 2012, according to local media reports. It first came to the attention of authorities when a Nigerian was found smuggling 250,000 euros (263,00 U.S. dollars) hidden in scrap cars to his home country.

Assuming the money was drug-related, the authorities then observed the man, which led them to the trail of the gang.

Some of them had acted as drug mules and swallowed the drugs, up to 1.5 kg at a time, and travelled to Austria by plane, train, and bus, sometimes passing through other European countries, the authorities said. Once in Austria they passed the drugs on to distributors, who in turn distributed them to street dealers.

The authorities said ten mules had been arrested, along with 35 dealers, and three suppliers. Some 45 were said to be from Africa, the remainder from Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia.

The 21 kg of seized drugs, made up of 17 kg of cocaine and four kg of heroin, had a purity level of 80 percent, meaning they could have been cut to make about 100 kg of drugs in total, according to authorities. Endit