German Police Uncover Drug Operation at Pizzeria Offering Cocaine with "Pizza No. 40"

German police have uncovered a drug pizza shop in the western city of Düsseldorf that also delivered cocaine when customers ordered ‘pizza No. 40’

‘It was one of the best-selling pizzas,’ a German police officer said in a statement.

The restaurant owner and 15 other people were arrested. The pizzeria manager was caught trying to flee abroad and remains in custody. None of the names of the suspects were made public in accordance with German privacy rules.

When police searched the pizzeria manager's apartment, the 36-year-old allegedly threw a bag of drugs out of the window, which ‘fell directly into the hands of the police,’ Düsseldorf police said. The bounty included 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds) of cocaine, 400 grams (14.1 ounces) of cannabis, and 268,000 euros ($290,378) in cash.

Police said that the restaurant manager, who was released from custody a few days later, soon reopened his business and began selling Pizza 40 again with a cocaine order. This gave investigators the opportunity to examine the supply chain, and a few weeks later, around 150 officers uncovered an entire drug trafficking network in Western Germany, arrested three suspects, including a 22-year-old drug operation manager, and raided the homes and businesses of 12 other suspects.

During the raids, they came across two cannabis plantations in neighbouring Mönchengladbach and Solingen with 300 and 60 plants respectively. They also found cutting and piercing weapons, as well as cash and expensive watches.