More than 1,000 officers from the federal police and the public prosecutor’s office were involved in the searches, Düsseldorf public prosecutor Julius Sterzel told the German Press Agency. They searched a total of 101 residential and business premises in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Berlin, Hesse as well as Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Accordingly, the investigators were targeting 38 suspected gang members and 147 people who were said to have been trafficked. According to the information, there were ten arrests. The investigation leading to the raid had been ongoing since 2020.
Police officers involved in the raid stand in front of a building in SolingenImage: Gianni Gattus/dpa/picture alliance
The masterminds are said to have been two lawyers from the Cologne area. They are accused of illegally obtaining residence permits for wealthy people, especially from China, but also Arab countries. A total of around 350 people are said to have benefited from this. The 42 and 46 year old men are said to have secured the help of government employees for a fee.
Suspicion of bribery and money laundering
In addition to the accusation of smuggling, the public prosecutor’s office is also investigating the main suspects on suspicion of bribery and money laundering. “With the prospect of a permanent residence permit, the trafficked people are said to have paid amounts between 30,000 and 350,000 euros to the law firms,” reported the police. Compared to most of the people transported by smugglers, this was a wealthy clientele, confirmed Sterzel.
The main suspects are suspected of using the funds to set up fake companies, finance alleged residences and fake wage payments, among other things. “In addition, not inconsiderable amounts are said to have served to enrich the accused.”
According to the investigators, the residence permits were obtained from the North Rhine-Westphalian immigration offices in the cities of Kerpen and Solingen as well as the districts of Rhein-Erft and Düren. The ten arrested also include an employee of the Düren district who is said to have played a key role in the smuggling and received bribes for it.
Praise from Faeser
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser thanked the investigators for the “massive blow against internationally organized smuggling” and emphasized that it was now important to examine all the backgrounds and put a stop to these organized crime structures.
As here in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, a lot of evidence was seized during the raidImage: Gianni Gattus/dpa/picture alliance
According to the information, “extensive evidence and not insignificant assets” have been secured so far, including around 210,000 euros in cash. In addition, 269 bank accounts were blocked and 31 properties were given a security mortgage.
According to the Federal Police, search warrants were executed in 15 municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia alone during the large-scale operation. Searches were also carried out in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg, Hamburg, Munich and several other cities and municipalities in a total of eight federal states.
Prison sentences for commercial smugglers
Smuggling refers to helping people enter Germany illegally, usually in exchange for money. This involves driving services, false documents, travel organization or accommodation. Unauthorized entry and stay are punishable under the Residence Act. Anyone who is in this country without a residence permit must leave the federal territory.
There are prison sentences of between one and 15 years for commercial smuggling. In 2022, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police registered 4,936 cases of smuggling across Germany – an increase of almost 30 percent compared to the previous year. The background is the sharp increase in irregular migration to Europe.
mak/kle (dpa, afp, ape)