On Monday 13 January 2025, Luxembourg's Customs and Excise Agency provided details of a couple of "successful investigations" concluded last year - the details could not be announced until now for "investigative reasons".
In August 2024, customs officers from the "Inspection générale opérations sécuritaires" recorded a "significant investigative success". While inspecting a vehicle of Luxembourgish origin, the officers discovered the smuggling of a significant quantity of drugs. The two men who were driving the vehicle assured during the inspection that they were not carrying any illegal goods. However, during the vehicle inspection, the drug detection dogs Gwen and Balto were deployed. Both animals barked at two suspicious boxes that were loaded in the vehicle. When opening the boxes, the officers discovered around 3,660 grams of cannabis, which had been wrapped in cellophane.
On the orders of the responsible public prosecutor's office, a search of the suspects' homes followed, during which both drug and explosive sniffer dogs were deployed. On the premises, the officers found another 800 grams of cannabis, two firearms with the corresponding ammunition, as well as extensive packaging material that is typically used for drug trafficking.
The two suspects were immediately brought before the responsible investigating judge who, after examining the evidence, ordered their arrest. The confiscated drugs and weapons were secured and handed over to the public prosecutor's office.
Moreover, in November 2024, customs officers managed to catch a drug smuggler red-handed on a train heading towards Wasserbillig. The "crucial clue" came from sniffer dog Gwen, who alerted the officers that a man was "carrying more than just his train ticket". During the subsequent check, the officers confiscated about 110 grams of hashish, two joints, 104 mini-grip resealable bags, two mobile phones and cash.
One month later, in December 2024, sniffer dog Balto detected a man's luggage on a platform at Luxembourg's central station during a check. To the "great surprise" of the officers, it was the same person again. During the search, the officers seized around 125 grams of hashish, nine joints, almost 200 mini-grip resealable bags, a mobile phone and cash. On the orders of the public prosecutor, the man was arrested and brought before an investigating judge.
