- Legal Basis
- § 29 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, § 29a, § 30 BtMG
- Sentencing Range
- Imprisonment up to five years or fine; not less than one year for commercial quantities
- Summary
- Unlawful trafficking in narcotic substances
Drug Trafficking under Section 29 of the German Narcotics Act – Overview
Drug trafficking (Handeltreiben) is a catch-all offence under German narcotics law with far-reaching interpretation by the courts. Any self-serving activity directed at the turnover of narcotics can be classified as trafficking. Criminal liability ranges from small-scale dealing to internationally organised drug trade.
Statutory Text (Section 29(1) No. 1 BtMG – Excerpt)
Section 29(1) No. 1: Whoever unlawfully cultivates, produces, trades in, imports, exports, sells, supplies, otherwise places on the market, acquires, or otherwise procures narcotics shall be liable to imprisonment of up to five years or a fine.
Section 29a(1) No. 2: Whoever unlawfully trades in narcotics in quantities that are not small shall be liable to imprisonment of not less than one year.
Elements of the Offence in Detail
Trafficking
Trafficking encompasses any self-serving activity directed at the turnover of narcotics. The courts interpret this broadly to include purchasing, selling, brokering, transporting, storing, and any other profit-oriented involvement in the narcotics trade.
Self-Interest
The perpetrator must act in self-interest, seeking a material advantage for themselves. Even the expectation of a minor benefit, such as a discount on personal consumption, suffices.
Quantities That Are Not Small
The aggravated form under Section 29a(1) No. 2 BtMG applies to trafficking in quantities that are not small. Threshold values are established by the Federal Court of Justice for each substance (e.g. 5 g cocaine hydrochloride, 7.5 g THC, 1.5 g heroin hydrochloride).
Typical Methods of Commission
Common forms include: street dealing (small-scale), trading via encrypted messenger services, darknet trading, wholesale and intermediate dealing, courier activities, stash keeping, and organised international drug trafficking.
Sentencing Range
The basic offence carries imprisonment of up to five years or a fine. For quantities that are not small (Section 29a BtMG), the minimum sentence is one year. Gang trafficking in quantities that are not small (Section 30a BtMG) carries a minimum of five years. Sentences increase with quantity, degree of organisation, and commercial nature.
Typical Defence Strategies
Defence approaches include: distinguishing between trafficking and non-punishable personal use, challenging the element of self-interest (altruistic procurement for others), questioning quantity attribution and active ingredient calculation, cooperating witness provisions (Section 31 BtMG) for substantial sentence reduction, exclusion of evidence from telecommunications surveillance or undercover investigations, establishing a less serious case with low profit and minimal organisation, and therapy instead of punishment (Section 35 BtMG).
Frequently Asked Questions
Ab wann liegt Handeltreiben statt bloßem Besitz vor?
Handeltreiben ist jede eigennützige, auf Umsatz gerichtete Tätigkeit; schon Anstalten zum Verkauf können genügen. Die Abgrenzung zum geringer bestraften Eigenbedarf ist daher ein zentraler Verteidigungsansatz.
Was bedeutet die nicht geringe Menge?
Überschreitet die Wirkstoffmenge den für die jeweilige Substanz festgelegten Grenzwert, greifen § 29a oder § 30 BtMG mit einer Mindestfreiheitsstrafe. Die Bestimmung von Wirkstoffgehalt und Menge ist häufig angreifbar.
Droht bei einem Handelsvorwurf Pre-Trial Detention?
Bei Handelsvorwürfen wird häufig Pre-Trial Detention angeordnet. Wir beantragen Akteneinsicht und Haftprüfung und arbeiten auf eine Außervollzugsetzung des Haftbefehls hin.
Muss ich zur Polizei, wenn ich als Beschuldigter vorgeladen werde?
Einer rein polizeilichen Police Summons müssen Sie als Beschuldigter nicht folgen, und Sie sind nie verpflichtet, sich zur Sache zu äußern. Einer Ladung der Staatsanwaltschaft oder des Gerichts sollten Sie folgen – schweigen dürfen Sie aber auch dort.
Sollte ich vor der Akteneinsicht aussagen?
In aller Regel nein. Ohne Kenntnis der Ermittlungsakte lässt sich nicht beurteilen, welche Beweise vorliegen. Eine Einlassung sollte erst nach Akteneinsicht und in Abstimmung mit dem Verteidiger erfolgen.
Kann ein Strafverfahren eingestellt werden?
Ja. Je nach Beweislage kommen eine Einstellung mangels hinreichenden Tatverdachts (§ 170 II StPO), wegen Geringfügigkeit (§ 153 StPO) oder gegen Auflagen (§ 153a StPO) in Betracht. Nach Akteneinsicht prüfen wir die Möglichkeiten.
Summons or accusation of Drug Trafficking? What matters now
Make no statement to the police at first
As an accused person you are never obliged to comment on the allegation. Anything said to the police can be used against you. Provide statements only through your defense attorney and only after reviewing the case file.
File inspection comes first
A sound defense against the allegation of Drug Trafficking requires knowledge of the investigation file. Only once the available evidence is clear can we decide whether a statement is advisable or whether remaining silent is the better strategy.
Possible discontinuation of proceedings
Not every case ends in a main hearing. Depending on the evidence and any prior record, the proceedings may be discontinued for lack of sufficient suspicion (§ 170 II StPO), for triviality (§ 153 StPO) or subject to conditions (§ 153a StPO). Often a penalty order without a public trial can be achieved.
Victim-offender mediation and restitution
In many cases, victim-offender mediation or making good the damage (§ 46a StGB) can significantly reduce the sentence or enable a discontinuation. Whether this is advisable in your case is something we assess based on the file.
What we do after reviewing the file
We examine the evidence for reliability and admissibility, look for procedural errors, develop the defense strategy, negotiate with the public prosecutor on a discontinuation and represent you, if necessary, in the main hearing before the District Court or Regional Court of Bonn.
Available 24/7: +49 228 504 463 36
This information does not replace a review of the individual case. In criminal proceedings, the defence strategy depends substantially on the case file, the specific allegation and the evidence.
Why BAFTEH Strafverteidigung?
- Direct contact with your defense attorney – no intermediaries
- Available around the clock, including nights and weekends
- Fast file inspection and a clear defense strategy
- Focused exclusively on criminal law
- Defense in Bonn, Cologne and the entire region
Written by attorney Philip Bafteh, criminal defense lawyer in Bonn. Philip Bafteh publishes regularly on criminal and commercial law and defends accused persons in investigative and trial proceedings.
More about the attorney →Last updated: Mai 2026
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