https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A German NGO boat was stranded for days in the Mediterranean with 230 migrants on board while Berlin refused to help out. Some in Germany have accused the government of playing politics with innocent people’s lives; others describe the NGO as “people smugglers.” https://www.thelocal.de/20180628/the-german-ngo-ship-lifeline-people-smugglers-or-life-savers Thu, 28 Jun 2018 14:31:45 +0200 the-german-ngo-ship-lifeline-people-smugglers-or-life-savers 800 police officers searched buildings in northern and central Germany where several suspects are said to have smuggled foreigners into Germany with fake documents. Some suspects are alleged to be connected to the alt-right Reichsbürger movement. https://www.thelocal.de/20180508/major-bust-of-smuggling-ring-of-illegal-foreigners-in-northern-and-central-germany Tue, 08 May 2018 13:17:17 +0200 major-bust-of-smuggling-ring-of-illegal-foreigners-in-northern-and-central-germany An Albanian businessman suspected of being involved in smuggling a record 613 kilos (1351 pounds) of Colombian cocaine in a cargo of bananas was arrested in Germany on Friday, police in Tirana said. https://www.thelocal.de/20180505/germany-arrests-albanian-over-record-cocaine-smuggling Sat, 05 May 2018 11:32:10 +0200 germany-arrests-albanian-over-record-cocaine-smuggling German federal police arrested an Iraqi suspected people-smuggler believed to be responsible for the deaths of 54 asylum seekers whose boat sank en route to Europe, authorities said on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.de/20171026/people-smuggler-arrested-in-germany-over-death-of-54-refugees-in-dangerous-crossing Thu, 26 Oct 2017 16:11:50 +0200 people-smuggler-arrested-in-germany-over-death-of-54-refugees-in-dangerous-crossing A German court convicted two human traffickers on Tuesday of putting the lives of hundreds of asylum seekers at risk while transporting them at the height of the refugee influx in 2015. https://www.thelocal.de/20171017/german-court-jails-two-people-smugglers-over-2015-influx Tue, 17 Oct 2017 18:45:45 +0200 german-court-jails-two-people-smugglers-over-2015-influx Customs officials at Munich Airport became suspicious when they spotted a nervous-looking man who had just arrived on a flight from the Netherlands. Further investigation showed he had swallowed an astonishing quantity of cocaine. https://www.thelocal.de/20170908/drug-smuggler-caught-at-munich-airport-with-95-bags-of-cocaine-in-his-stomach Fri, 08 Sep 2017 14:56:12 +0200 drug-smuggler-caught-at-munich-airport-with-95-bags-of-cocaine-in-his-stomach Three Syrians went on trial in German on Tuesday, accused of human trafficking after a boat that they allegedly used to smuggle people to Europe capsized and killed 13 people. https://www.thelocal.de/20170627/syrian-traffickers-of-migrants-on-trial-in-germany Tue, 27 Jun 2017 19:41:13 +0200 syrian-traffickers-of-migrants-on-trial-in-germany For over a year, three men snuck beer into Britain while pretending to sell it in northern Bavaria. The problem? Nowhere on earth has as many breweries as northern Bavaria. https://www.thelocal.de/20161215/three-jailed-in-germany-for-huge-beer-smuggling-operation-into-uk Thu, 15 Dec 2016 11:29:28 +0100 three-jailed-in-germany-for-huge-beer-smuggling-operation-into-uk A Montenegrin went on trial in southern Germany Friday accused of helping to prepare a terror attack after he was found driving to Paris last November with Kalashnikovs and explosives hidden in his car. https://www.thelocal.de/20160923/man-caught-smuggling-arms-to-paris-goes-on-trial-in-germany Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:30:22 +0200 man-caught-smuggling-arms-to-paris-goes-on-trial-in-germany One of Germany's most prolific covert weapons traders was sentenced to five and a half years in jail on Thursday, having sold enough weapons to equip "a small army", the presiding judge said. https://www.thelocal.de/20160729/german-darknet-weapons-dealer-sentenced-to-5-years-jail Fri, 29 Jul 2016 15:28:17 +0200 german-darknet-weapons-dealer-sentenced-to-5-years-jail What do you do with 25,000 litres of fake tequila? Set fire to it, apparently - with the Mexican Ambassador and the Tequila Regulation Council standing by to make sure the job's done properly. https://www.thelocal.de/20151210/25k-litres-of-fake-tequila-goes-up-in-flames Thu, 10 Dec 2015 15:52:43 +0100 25k-litres-of-fake-tequila-goes-up-in-flames A woman from Regensburg thought she'd found a foolproof way to smuggle heroin to her boyfriend in prison - but the plan backfired in a very literal way. https://www.thelocal.de/20151119/heroin-dealer-caught-after-sending-drugs-to-law-firm Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:53:17 +0100 heroin-dealer-caught-after-sending-drugs-to-law-firm Customs officers at Düsseldorf airport found a stuffed Nile crocodile in a suitcase on Tuesday, after stopping a man passing through the 'nothing to declare' section. https://www.thelocal.de/20150407/a-dead-crocodile-for-mother Tue, 07 Apr 2015 18:13:48 +0200 a-dead-crocodile-for-mother Customs at Stuttgart Airport caught a passenger carrying one kilo of cocaine in her stomach over the weekend. https://www.thelocal.de/20141104/woman-smuggles-kilo-of-cocaine-in-stomach-stuttgart-ariport Tue, 04 Nov 2014 17:36:00 +0100 woman-smuggles-kilo-of-cocaine-in-stomach-stuttgart-ariport An expat in Munich is warning about the dangers of buying dogs after her new puppy died within 48 hours. Vets believe the pet was smuggled illegally into Germany from eastern Europe by a gang. https://www.thelocal.de/20140603/munich-dog-owners-smuggled-puppy-dies-after-two-days Tue, 03 Jun 2014 10:00:00 +0200 munich-dog-owners-smuggled-puppy-dies-after-two-days Customs officials at Frankfurt Airport have discovered 90 exotic animals in a suitcase, including 55 tortoises, 30 lizards and an iguana. Some were endangered species and died during the journey. https://www.thelocal.de/20140520/man-attempted-to-smuggle-reptilian-cargo-at-frankfurt-airport Tue, 20 May 2014 12:44:00 +0200 man-attempted-to-smuggle-reptilian-cargo-at-frankfurt-airport The number of Germans smuggling large amounts of cash across the Swiss border into Germany rose dramatically last year. Customs officers said on Thursday they made a find in almost every third car they checked. https://www.thelocal.de/20140417/one-in-three-cars-holds-smuggled-cash Thu, 17 Apr 2014 12:37:00 +0200 one-in-three-cars-holds-smuggled-cash Sixteen million cigarettes have been seized in Hamburg harbour, customs said on Thursday. The smuggled goods came from Dubai and had been transported in containers labelled "household items." https://www.thelocal.de/20140123/police-seize-16-million-cigarettes-hamburg Thu, 23 Jan 2014 17:10:00 +0100 police-seize-16-million-cigarettes-hamburg A group of 75 Syrian refugees have disappeared from their emergency accommodation, days after German authorities caught them trying to cross into Denmark. https://www.thelocal.de/20130924/52071 Tue, 24 Sep 2013 14:10:00 +0200 52071 German police cracked open on Tuesday a human trafficking gang thought to have smuggled 100 people into the country illegally. In some cases, those entering paid extra to have their fingerprints removed. https://www.thelocal.de/20130604/50101 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:21:00 +0200 50101