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Berlin Pushes for Wiretap Powers Triggered by Illegal Gun Possession

The move targets gang turf violence fueling recent shootings.

Overview

  • Berlin’s interior senator, Iris Spranger, plans to table a motion at the Interior Ministers' Conference in Bremen in early December, with parallel involvement of the Justice Ministers' Conference.
  • Her proposal seeks federal changes to the Weapons Act and Code of Criminal Procedure so an illegal firearm find would allow telecommunications surveillance to map supply chains and dismantle networks.
  • These expanded investigative powers are at the proposal stage and would require national agreement before taking effect.
  • Police have intensified operations with several hundred officers conducting pub checks and traffic controls across the city to disrupt criminal structures.
  • Authorities report recent seizures of a submachine gun and nine pistols as police classify the shootings as rival gang turf fights, with the police union warning of widespread rearmament.