Since early Wednesday morning, the authorities have been taking action nationwide against a suspected smuggler gang who brought migrants to Germany with false papers and allowed them to work illegally in logistics centers for little money. The Berlin public prosecutor spoke of “internationally organized illegal work” by a Russian-German gang.
The federal police and customs raided more than 50 apartments, business premises, logistics centers and the living quarters of workers in twelve federal states. The raid focused on Berlin and Brandenburg, where 18 objects were searched. Three arrest warrants were executed in Berlin and Brandenburg, others in Bremen and Lower Saxony.
Eight men aged 32 to 62 and a 42 year old woman were arrested. The alleged head of the gang, a 49-year-old man, and a 62-year-old tax advisor were arrested in Bremen, and a 47-year-old in Lower Saxony.
At the same time, assets amounting to 19 million euros were confiscated by a judicial arrest order. More than 80 bank accounts were secured in Germany and abroad, and the investigators also confiscated various properties, high-quality vehicles and other luxury goods. In addition, the officers confiscated extensive evidence, including documents, storage media and mobile phones, as well as cash amounting to around 90,000 euros.
During the large-scale operation, 275 people were also found who had allegedly been smuggled into Germany as temporary workers by the gang. With these people, the “residence status is unclear”, there is “suspicion of unauthorized residence and unauthorized work,” declared the authorities.
According to the federal police at noon, 2200 forces from the federal police, customs and the technical relief organization were involved in the operation.
In Berlin, objects in Hohenschönhausen in the Lichtenberg, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Steglitz-Zehlendorf districts were searched. Three arrest warrants were executed in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Steglitz-Zehlendorf. In Brandenburg, three other men were arrested in Oranienburg and Hohen Neuendorf. In addition, the officials in Bergfelde (Oberhavel) moved to an accommodation for the workers and in a logistics center.
Perfidious system developed with the help of a network of companies
“There are joint investigations against 20 suspects,” said a spokesman for the federal police. “They are accused of smuggling foreigners in as a gang and for commercial purposes, forging documents, organized undeclared work, illegal employment and money laundering.”
According to the Berlin public prosecutor’s office, the gang is said to have developed a perfidious system with the help of a network of companies. The public prosecutor spoke of a conspiratorial network at home and abroad. For their business, the gang is said to have founded temporary employment agencies in the Baltic States and Germany and hired temporary workers from non-EU countries – mainly from Ukraine and Moldova.
Labored in large logistics centers
In order to enable the entry and work of the actual visa-required people in the EU, the gang is said to have forged documents and identity papers. She is said to have pretended that the workers are EU citizens. For example, Ukrainians and Moldovans are said to have been given forged Polish ID cards so that they could simply enter and work in Germany.
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The illegally entered workers are said to have been sent to the companies in Germany with the wrong papers. There, the people are said to have been massively exploited; they had to toil in large logistics centers. The gang is said to have withheld part of the promised wages. According to the investigators, the workers had to pay for the smuggling in, the referral to large logistics companies, the false documents and the accommodation.
Up to 1000 workers smuggled into Germany
“The gang generates a not inconsiderable pecuniary advantage from withheld wages and the non-payment of social security contributions,” said the public prosecutor. “Examinations to date suggest that up to 1,000 employees have entered the local labor market through the company network operated by the gang.”
With its corporate network, the gang is said to have been active in numerous federal states. According to investigators, the network was organized strictly and hierarchically. The gang leadership is said to have appointed a kind of governor for each region, who then handled the business with the logistics companies.
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The governor for Berlin and Brandenburg is said to have steered the network from Charlottenburg for years. Arrest warrants have been issued against him and his wife, who is said to have kept the books of accounts.
The investigators from the federal police and customs had come across the perfidious system through controls in various logistics centers. There “several third-country nationals were employed” and had “identified themselves with totally forged EU identity documents”.
“Today’s measures in Berlin and other federal states are an important sign: the rule of law is vigilant,” the Berlin police union informed the police on Wednesday. “It is incredibly perfidious to want to make money with people’s misery, to shamelessly exploit their helplessness and the desire for a better life.”
