Berlin police special units detain 50+ suspects in gun violence crackdown

Special units Ferrum and Telum

Berlin's police and prosecution have deployed coordinated special teams to combat gun violence in the German capital, where criminal networks have increasingly used firearms for intimidation and extortion. The police unit "Ferrum" (Latin for "iron"), based at the Landeskriminalamt (LKA), has initiated more than 600 investigation proceedings roughly nine months after its founding, a police spokesperson told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. In the course of these operations, officers have checked more than 3,800 vehicles and 866 premises or businesses across the city. Around 280 people were temporarily detained during the measures.

The prosecution's counterpart unit, "Telum" (Latin for "weapon of attack"), was established in response to Ferrum to strengthen the fight against organized crime, known in German law enforcement as "OK" (Organisierte Kriminalität). Both groups work closely together. Roughly five months after its founding, Telum had received 197 cases as of August 4, with indictments filed in eleven of them. The two units operate in tandem, with Ferrum conducting investigative work at the police level and Telum handling the prosecutorial side of the proceedings.

Arrests and ongoing manhunts

More than 50 suspects have been placed in investigative custody, and authorities have issued a total of 68 arrest warrants as of August 13. The prosecution said the search for additional suspected perpetrators continues. The operations target criminal networks that use firearms for intimidation, with shots fired as a means of coercion and protection money as a business model. Berlin's police and prosecution aim to increase pressure on these networks through the sustained deployment of the special teams and the large-scale checks of vehicles and premises. Thorsten Cloidt, a department head at the prosecution, described the approach to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

We try to take as many people as possible out of circulation and get into the structures.

Rising gun violence

Gun violence in Berlin has worsened drastically in recent years, according to authorities. Berlin police recorded 1,119 cases of firearm use in 2025, a figure that includes threats without shots being fired as well as incidents where shots were discharged. That represents a 68% increase over 2024. In 2026, police had already registered 62 crimes involving live firearms as of August 5.

The 1,119 cases in 2025 encompass the full range of firearm-related incidents, from discharged shots to weapons brandished as threats. The 68% increase over the previous year is part of the sharp worsening that prompted the creation of the two special units. The 62 cases recorded in 2026 specifically involve live firearms, showing that the violence has continued into the current year. The large-scale checks of more than 3,800 vehicles and 866 premises reflect the breadth of the police response. The 68 arrest warrants and more than 50 suspects in custody represent the most visible results of the operation so far, though authorities indicated that further arrests are expected as investigations continue and the search for additional suspects proceeds. The 280 people temporarily detained during the checks, combined with the 50-plus now in investigative custody, reflect the scale of the enforcement effort.