Explosion in apartment building in Cologne

– Another explosion in multi-family home in Cologne

In Colognethere has been another explosion in a multi-family home. No injuries were reported, but doors and windows were damaged, a police spokesman said. The crime scene investigation was still ongoing Monday morning. The home is located in the Zündorf district. The explosion is believed to have occurred overnight.

Police are investigating, as they have done before, possible links to several explosions that have taken place in recent weeks. There have been explosions in Cologne, but also in Engelskirchen and Duisburg. Preliminary police reports suggest that at least some of the explosions, as well as a recent hostage situation in Cologne, are linked to disputes between drug gangs, some of which are based in the Netherlands. This has raised fears of more such incidents.

Explosions at house entrances are a common tactic used by Dutch drug dealers, often referred to as the “Mocro-mafia”. Michael Mertens, the head of the police union (GdP) in North Rhine-Westphalia, told dpa in July: “The Dutch drug mafia is already here, and NRW is an important location as a transport hub. What we have to understand is that these are extremely brutal criminals.”

Police are investigating possible links between the recent explosions and conflicts between drug gangs, some of which have a base in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, these drug gangs are known to use explosions at house entrances as a tactic, a method often used by Dutch drug dealers.