After a 12-month secret investigation, the Southeastern Jutland Police has confiscated large amounts of narcotics and illegal weapons from a gang in the Kolding area.

Twelve people have been arrested, 10 of whom have been sentenced for illegal imports from Bosnia and Germany.

The case is one of the largest-ever in the country, involving some 8.6kgs of heroin, 8kgs. of amphetamines and large amounts of cocaine and ecstasy. The gang has also introduced two AK-47s and 16 other handguns into the country, Investigation Chief Klaus Arboe tells Ritzau.

“This is a group from the Kolding region. They know people in the biker environment, but are not members themselves,” Arboe tells Ritzau.

Boss held
The case began a year ago when a 30-year-old, who is suspected of being the brains behind the gang, was detained in a closed-door hearing. Since then 11 others have been arrested, 10 of whom – nine men and one woman - have been sentenced to between eight months and six years in prison for handling narcotics and weapons.

The 30-year-old and another 58-year-old are to be sentenced in May.

Only half of the weapons
Only half of the weapons have been confiscated by the police – one of the machine guns was found after a police raid on a Hells Angels club in Amager near Copenhagen.

Arboe says that Danish police cooperated with foreign police services in rounding up the gang. The narcotics came from Bosnia while the weapons came from Bosnia and Germany, he says. Large amounts of ammunition have also been confiscated.

Gang war
The police spokesman said the operation has also had an effect on the ongoing gang war in Copenhagen.

“It is our clear impression that the weapons were meant for criminal groups – both bikers and anti-social youths. These sorts of weapons dealers are unscrupulous. They sell to both sides of a conflict without blinking an eyelid,” he says.