Raid in the train station district: In the end, the dealers are free again

Until early evening they thought they were safe. They stood in small groups opposite Frankfurt Central Station, where Munich Street leads into the station district . Sometimes in twos, sometimes in threes. They leaned against posts, stood furtively against the wall. As soon as passers-by walked past them they called out "Hello". Or "Do you want something?" They probably had no idea that this Tuesday evening would be the last time they would be standing on the corner that had become their regular spot. Marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine - they had been dealing these substances in recent months. When a whole parade of police cars drove up at around 6 p.m., officers jumped out of their cars and in the next second put the dealers against the wall to search them for drugs and weapons, it seemed as if the police had caught them off guard.

Head of operations Timothy Giese stands at the edge of the scene on Münchener Strasse, making sure that everything goes smoothly, and says that it will probably be a long night. What he means by this is that this first raid on Münchener Strasse is just the beginning. He asks for the current figures on how many people were encountered. In the end, 27 men are on the list. Jamaican nationals who belong to a group that, according to Giese, has been attracting attention in the station district for months due to its aggressive drug sales. The police have started to look at this group separately. Giese says that there have also been complaints from residents and business owners. With this action, he hopes "that some peace will return to Münchener Strasse."

That evening, the dealers remain quiet. Silent, almost intimidated, they follow the officers to the Wiesenhüttenplatz, where the police have set up tents to protect them from the rain. There, the seized items are put in bags and recorded. Drugs , cell phones, keys, wallets. Soon afterwards, the tent smells like a cannabis plantation. Only one of the suspected dealers resists. He is sitting in one of the prisoner transport vehicles that the police have set up at the Wiesenhüttenplatz. Screams can be heard from outside, he is hitting and kicking the wall. Officers drive him to the police headquarters. Soon the others follow.

"Prisoner collection point" is the name of the department on the ground floor of the headquarters on Adickesallee. A largely tiled area with a narrow corridor and small detention cells in which people can be held for up to several hours. Before they get there, however, they are taken to the "registration" area. A long counter at the entrance to the wing where several officers sort out the procedures. One by one, the men are brought in. The officers compare names, check identities, print out files. Many of the men who show up there that evening are already known to the police. 17 of them are officially arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking. The others are under investigation for other offenses. They are then given a prohibition order stating that they are not allowed to stay in the station district for the next three months. If they are seen there anyway, they face a prison sentence.

While the rioter, who is no longer hitting out but is now spitting, is being taken to one of the cells, the next suspected dealer is already at the "registration desk". A man in his mid-20s. An officer lectures him and hands him the prohibition order. "Do you speak English?" asks the police officer. "Yes," the man replies. Then the officer explains: "You are here because you have committed a crime." The man says: "I have not." The police officer pulls out a file: "This says something different."

In front of him is a densely printed A4 page with police findings. It is the summary of what the police have collected about him in connection with drug trafficking over the past few months. There is a similar list of crimes for almost everyone who is brought to the police station that evening. A police officer says: "Almost none of the men are unknown here. The only question is what the justice system will make of it in the end."

And that's not much. After a thorough examination, only one suspect is even considered as a possible reason for detention, and he is to be brought before the judge the next day. But that doesn't happen. According to the police headquarters, the judge refused to bring the suspect before the judge on the grounds that he saw no reason for detention. A spokesman says that they are now relying on the residence ban. If the people comply with this, the aim of stopping the dealers from doing their business will be achieved. As the Hessian Ministry of the Interior announced in response to a query, the asylum status of the suspects is now also being examined. However, no information was initially provided on this.