To Germany for 360,000 euros – major raid against rich people smugglers
Published: Wednesday, Apr 17th 2024, 17:51
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The lure was advertising for a "world-class healthcare system" and the best education: With a major raid in eight federal states, the police have broken up an internationally active smuggling gang that specialized in rich people from China and Oman.
More than 1000 officers searched more than 100 homes, business premises and authorities on Wednesday and arrested ten suspects. It cost up to 360,000 euros to obtain a residence permit in individual cases, as the public prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Hendrik Timmer, said in Düsseldorf. There are 38 suspected gang members and 147 people who are said to have been smuggled. If family members caught up later are added, the number of people involved is around 350, mostly Chinese nationals, the statement continued.
Advertising for Germany on the Internet
According to the Federal Police, a total of eleven arrest warrants were issued, ten of which were executed, mainly in Cologne. However, one person is still being searched for. Six of the suspects have already been brought before a magistrate. According to the district of Düren, one of them is an employee of the district administration there. In addition, arrest warrants have been issued for lawyers and employees of their law firms. The main suspects are two 42 and 46-year-old lawyers from the Cologne area. They are accused of gang and commercial smuggling of foreigners as well as bribery and corruption of employees of local authorities. Commercial smuggling carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
According to the investigators, the financially strong foreigners - also from South Africa and India - were recruited via a so-called "residency program" on the internet. The program not only advertised Germany's health and education system, but also offered the prospect of German citizenship. Special provisions of the Residence Act for the self-employed and skilled workers were exploited.
Bogus residential address even at elite boarding school
The whereabouts of the majority of the 147 people smuggled by the gang are currently unknown, said Timmer. They could be in their countries of origin, but could also have a permanent residence in Germany. One of the alleged homes was also an elite boarding school near Constance, "where royal children also go to school", said Timmer. "In fact, however, it wasn't just the child who was registered there, but also the father as the main applicant - who of course doesn't live there."
According to the investigators, the smuggled persons wanted to "take advantage of the German social, health and education system. Some may also have wanted to spend the rest of their lives in Europe. If the smuggled persons are found, their fraudulent residence permits will become invalid. However, as long as they are listed as suspects and the criminal proceedings are ongoing, their deportation will be suspended. The investigators are still hoping for witness statements from them.
The investigation was conducted under the name "Investor" because the suspected criminals allegedly wanted to make investments in companies or real estate in Germany. The total price of the smuggling could be up to 360,000 euros. The main accused are suspected of using the money to set up bogus companies, finance alleged residences and falsify alleged wage payments, among other things. In addition, "consultancy fees" of up to 40,000 euros were to be paid to the law firms, as the investigators illustrated with an example.
Smuggling for years
In addition, bogus residences were applied for in order to obtain residence permits. Once the smuggling price had been paid, the law firm contacted foreign missions - such as German consulates in Shanghai and Canton - and had travel visas issued. According to the investigators, the residence permits were then obtained from the North Rhine-Westphalian immigration offices in the cities of Kerpen and Solingen and the districts of Rhein-Erft and Düren.
According to the investigators, the illegal smuggling of rich foreigners to Germany had been going on for several years. The investigation originated from a tip-off from the German consulate in Canton, China, as well as numerous suspicious money laundering reports from banks. The investigations were started in 2020, but some of the crimes were committed in 2016/2017.
Almost 300 bank accounts blocked
According to investigators, 269 bank accounts were seized, 31 properties secured and around 450,000 euros in cash seized, as well as two high-quality vehicles and a truckload of files. A total of 25 property seizures amounting to 33 million euros were enforced, said police director Olaf Sacherer from the federal police.
Search warrants were executed in several municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg, Hamburg, Munich and other cities. In addition to the law firm and the homes of the main defendants, the alleged registered offices of the bogus companies and alleged residences - including two castles in the Eifel region - were also targeted. The immigration offices concerned were also the subject of the investigation. Banknote sniffer dogs were also deployed.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) commented on the raids: "Now we need to shed light on all the background and put a stop to these organized crime structures". In the fight against smuggling gangs, "it is precisely this high level of investigative pressure and this consistent crackdown" that is needed. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) said: "This is a good and important investigative success against a gang that wants to line its pockets with residence permits."
In 2022, the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Police registered 4936 cases of people smuggling across Germany - an increase of almost 30% compared to the previous year. This is due to the sharp rise in irregular migration to Europe. The current 2022 situation report on migrant smuggling states that the perpetrators are acting "very professionally and flexibly" and that there is also an increasing willingness to take risks.
©Keystone/SDA
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