Armed attacks surge in Berlin — some of the guns are coming from Czechia

Berlin has seen a sharp rise in crimes involving the use or display of firearms. According to police statistics cited by the German news agency DPA, the German capital recorded 1,119 such incidents last year — a 68% jump compared to 2024. Nationwide, police are also reporting a growing number of threats involving weapons, even as the number of actual shootings has declined.

Just this week, on Monday, an unknown assailant shot and killed a 30-year-old man near Zoologischer Garten station. Before that, on Friday, someone wounded a 22-year-old café patron in the Kreuzberg district. On Sunday, unknown attackers opened fire on a restaurant window in Neukölln, and a week earlier a 38-year-old man was shot in Schöneberg. Back in spring this year, the German police union warned that in Berlin, hardly a night goes by without a weapon being used.

Guns from Czechia and Turkey

Berlin authorities say a significant share of the weapons seized by police originate from underground workshops in Czechia, though the largest flow of illegal firearms still comes from Turkey. In early 2024, investigators uncovered a German-Turkish network that was converting freely sold gas pistols into functioning firearms and distributing them. Police have also found weapons made using 3D printers in criminals' possession. Curbing the flow of weapons into the German capital has become a top priority for both police and prosecutors.

The motives behind these armed crimes vary widely — from personal disputes and family conflicts to matters of honour. Drug dealers use weapons to fight over territory and to enforce "protection" payments. Officials note that offenders are getting younger, and are increasingly recruited online.

Special units respond to rising violence

In response to the surge in armed crime, police and prosecutors have set up two special task forces. So far, their work has led to 50 arrests, with the search for other suspects still underway. One of the units alone launched more than 600 preliminary investigations within just nine months of its creation, checking over 3,800 vehicles and 866 shops and businesses. Around 280 people were temporarily detained.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz