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The German capital has become the battleground of a gang war, with criminals flying in hitmen on tourist visas to carry out contract killings before quickly disappearing, Berlin's police chief has revealed on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Berlin's Criminal Investigation Department has been alarmed since 2025 as organized criminal groups spread violence across the city.
"We are now seeing rival gangs visibly using violence on Berlin's streets, whether through hand grenade attacks on establishments, or shots fired at people, vehicles and buildings," Berlin Justice Senator Felor Badenberg reportedly told broadcaster RBB, calling it "a new threat level."
Police reportedly recorded 543 shooting incidents and 629 cases of firearm threats in Berlin in 2025—a sharp increase from 363 shootings and 303 threats in 2024.
Gangs are primarily responsible for these confrontations.
Berlin Police President Barbara Slowik Meisel explained that perpetrators are being deliberately flown in from Türkiye.
"They enter on short-term tourist visas and then commit crimes here for which they have received orders," she said, adding that, "They disappear quickly after their acts."
What is now taking hold in Germany and specifically Berlin has long been a major problem in Türkiye: "new generation" street gangs strengthened through extortion, drug and weapons smuggling.
Among them are the Daltons; named after both a historical gang and the gangster brothers in the "Lucky Luke" comics.
They are known for brutal methods and recruiting young members through social media.
Court documents from a trial against the Daltons show they primarily recruit males aged 15 to 20, though increasingly young women are joining. In an ongoing trial against the notorious Casper gang, approximately 70 minors are defendants.
The gangs fascinate young people from poor neighborhoods by presenting a dream lifestyle on TikTok: money, expensive cars, weapons.
Entry into the gangs is alarmingly easy: "Someone who leaves a comment under a video on TikTok can be working as a contract killer two months later."
The Daltons' expansion to Berlin stems from increased pressure in Türkiye and the search for new markets.
"Berlin offers a flourishing drug market while police and justice systems are understaffed," said Benjamin Jendro, spokesman for Berlin's police union.
"We've seen for a few months that the Ezgins, an offshoot of the so-called Daltons, are becoming more active and have discovered the capital as a field of activity and market," Jendro said.
"The gangs are more brutal than before. They all have firearms, no longer just small calibers. They act ruthlessly and immediately, not threatening for long," he added.
The gang has shown public presence; at a prominent funeral in Berlin's criminal milieu in January, a large wreath bore the inscription "Daltonlar."
Berlin's Criminal Investigation Department established a large special unit called "BAO Ferrum" (Latin for "iron," referencing firearms) in November 2025.
Police have conducted nightly raids on shisha bars and restaurants across Kreuzberg, Schöneberg, Wedding, Charlottenburg and Neukolln. Officers checked approximately 5,000 identities, 3,000 vehicles and more than 800 establishments.
Results include 18 confiscated firearms, 192 rounds of ammunition, 10 blank pistols and 50 other weapons including knives, baseball bats and tasers.
Police initiated 260 investigations, identified 50 suspects and issued 12 arrest warrants.
"The constant presence has shown effect," police reportedly said, with organized criminals now leaving their weapons at home. But investigators know the gang war has arrived in Berlin; and an end to the violence is not in sight.
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