BERLIN ( AP ) – German authorities conducted a large-scale raid against an international human smuggling gang early Wednesday, police said in a statement.
More than 1,000 police officials searched dozens of homes, stores and offices across western and southern Germany and detained 10 defendants, including two doctors.
A total of 38 suspected gang members, as well as 147 other people who reportedly paid to be smuggled by it, are being investigated, European news agency dpa reported. The two doctors, 42 and 46 decades old and from the Cologne place, are the primary suspects, national authorities in local Sankt Augustin said. In accordance with European privacy laws, the defendants ‘ names were not disclosed.
In exchange for hundreds of thousands of euros ( dollars ), the suspects are accused of using illegally advantage of special German immigration laws for skilled foreigners to obtain residency permits for about 350 mostly Chinese nationals who do n’t meet the required criteria.
17 April 2024, Solingen: Police officers stand near a tower that is being searched. Ten suspects have been taken into custody by the Düsseldorf open prosecutor’s office in a massive search of an international trafficking gang in eight national states. Since the first night, more than 1000 national authorities and people prosecutor’s offices have been involved in the operation. A full of 101 residential and business facilities were searched. Photo: Gianni Gattus/dpa – ATTENTION: Sign at parking lot pixelated for legal reasons ( Photo by Gianni Gattus/picture alliance via Getty Images )
17 April 2024, Solingen: Police officers stand at a tower being searched. Ten suspects have been taken into custody by the Düsseldorf people prosecutor’s office in a massive search of an international trafficking gang in eight federal states. Since the first night, more than 1000 national authorities and people prosecutor’s offices have been involved in the operation. A total of 101 residential and business facilities were searched. Photo: Gianni Gattus/dpa ( Photo by Gianni Gattus/picture alliance via Getty Images )
The two primary suspects are alleged to have arranged bribes from rich foreigners to smuggle money, mostly from China but also from Muslim nations, through their law firms. Authorities said clients paid the legislation firms from 30,000 to 350,000 euros for improper support with visa.
The suspected attorneys and their assistants reportedly used the money to set up phony companies, financing alleged residences and misrepresent alleged wage bills, keeping “not inconsiderable amounts ” to strengthen themselves, dpa reported.
In addition to the northern towns of Kerpen and Solingen, as well as Rhine-Erft and Dueren regions, immigration offices obtained the fake home permits. One of the ten imprisoned suspects is a Dueren city employee who was reportedly paid to take part in the fraud, according to the dpa.
Raids were carried out in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria, Hamburg and Berlin where officers seized goods and collected information.
“So much, extensive information and not inconsiderable goods have been secured, including around 210,000 dollars in cash, ” the officials said.
European Interior Minister Nancy Faeser thanked officers and prosecution for the “massive attack against international organized immigrant smuggling.” ”
We need this higher level of investigative stress and constant crackdown, the minister continued. We will keep fighting organized migrant smuggling with a strong strategy. ”
The research focused on North Rhine-Westphalia, where the 10 suspects were detained.
