A German court in Oldenburg has begun the trial of six men — including two Albanians, two Romanians, and two Colombians — accused of international drug trafficking and illegal entry into Germany, according to Bild.
Prosecutors say the group planned a highly sophisticated operation to retrieve 184 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the hull of the Brazilian cargo ship “Tiger South”, which docked at the port of Brake in March this year.
The defendants allegedly met in Spain and Portugal in February to finalize the plan. To extract the drugs from a concealed compartment in the ship’s hull, they used military-grade diving equipment, including rebreathers, underwater scooters, and advanced diving suits.
Three members of the group — one of them an Albanian — were professional divers tasked with removing the metal screws from the underwater compartment to access six cocaine packages valued at up to €18 million.
However, the plan fell apart when a security alarm was triggered aboard the ship during the dive, forcing the divers to surface. Police were already waiting onshore, having been tipped off by international partners monitoring the group for weeks. All six suspects were arrested on site, and the cocaine was later seized by German authorities.
According to Bild, the defendants — Romeo-Paul U. (65), Dan L. (38), Amando B. (41), Ionel D. (39), Roberto E. (53), and Oscar M. (38) — face 4 to 7 years in prison if they plead guilty.
Authorities say the operation resembled a spy thriller, noting the group’s use of elite diving gear “typically reserved for military or police special units.” The suspects had also rented multiple vehicles and houses, including one in the art village of Worpswede, to coordinate logistics.
Police continue to investigate the broader international cartel network believed to be behind the smuggling attempt.
