Large-scale raid against smugglers - investigators strike at 15 locations

Police raid in five federal states.

It is about the commercial smuggling of foreigners into Germany.

The investigators strike at 15 locations.

There are arrests.

Frankfurt am Main - A courier service from Hesse is said to have smuggled Ukrainians to Germany and used them as courier drivers there in undeclared work.

The public prosecutor's office in Darmstadt and the Federal Police Inspection for Combating Crime in Frankfurt am Main proceeded with a large-scale raid on 15 locations on Thursday.

According to the federal police, the searches took place in the areas of Seeheim-Jugenheim, Weiterstadt, Roßdorf, Darmstadt, Heppenheim, Langenfeld (Rhineland), Mannheim, Idstein, Großbeeren (Brandenburg) and Glinde.

Courier service suspected of being a smuggler

A 36-year-old German and a 32-year-old German from the Seeheim-Jugenheim area are suspected.

In at least 13 cases, the operators of a courier service are said to have smuggled in Ukrainian nationals by abusing the visa-free entry option in order to then employ them as drivers in their courier service, according to the federal police.

Raid on people smugglers - Ukrainians employed in Germany without a work permit

The man had been arrested and should be brought before the judge on Thursday.

In addition, nine of the courier drivers were arrested and accused of being illegally staying.

Ukrainians are allowed to enter for tourism purposes without a visa, but they are not allowed to work easily.

In order to take up employment, in this case as a courier driver, a residence title and a work permit are required, explain the investigators.

The courier drivers were not reported to the tax office and the social security contributions were not paid.

The allegation against the two suspects is the commercial smuggling of foreigners and withholding and misappropriating wages.

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© Federal Police Koblenz

 175 federal police officers and the responsible public prosecutor were involved in the searches, according to the press release from the federal police. According to this, forces from the financial control of illegal work at the Darmstadt customs office were also on site.

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