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QR-Code Stickers Market Drug ‘Taxis’ in Hamburg as Police Investigate and BDK Warns of Growth

BDK cites shrinking narcotics squads alongside an overloaded prosecutor’s office as weakening sustained pressure on dealers.

Overview

  • Small blue-yellow stickers in areas such as the Schanzenviertel link scanners to messenger channels that take drug orders for home delivery.
  • Hamburg police say they are aware of the tactic, have ongoing investigations, and are catching couriers "in beachtlicher Taktung" in the act.
  • BDK chairman Jan Reinecke reports a steady rise in delivery syndicates and drivers, pointing to shrinking narcotics squads and a prosecutor’s backlog of tens of thousands of cases as reducing pressure on dealers.
  • The union outlines pay of €8–10 per handover and fixed monthly salaries up to about €4,000, with promotion pathways inside the networks.
  • Local reporting describes rapid access and low prices, with cocaine delivered in roughly 30 minutes and offers around €50 per gram.