BERLIN (AP) — More than 1,000 police officers searched dozens of homes, stores and lawyers’ offices across western and southern Germany in a large-scale raid against an international human smuggling gang early Wednesday. Ten suspects were detained, German news agency dpa reported.
The suspects are accused of having taken advantage of special German immigration rules for skilled foreign workers to procure residency permits for around 350 mostly Chinese nationals in exchange for hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars).
Raids were carried out in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria, Hamburg and Berlin. Police seized assets and collected evidence. According to the daily Bild newspaper, several employees of immigration offices were bribed in the scam.
The investigation focused on North Rhine-Westphalia, where the 10 suspects were arrested. Among them were two lawyers, dpa reported.
Blake Griffin retires after a high
Alicia Keys is on fire in a stunning gold dress alongside husband Swizz Beatz as they joins A
Nicaragua severs diplomatic relations with Ecuador after assault on Mexican embassy
Guangdong rally by Fujian, Sichuan lose 12th in a row
China, EU agree to promote people
Composer's memories help shape the future
U.S. Justice Department sues Apple for alleged monopoly in smartphone markets
Spring farming underway across China
Connecticut's top public defender denies misconduct claims as commission debates firing her
The Civil War raged and fortune
Rory McIlroy debunks LIV Golf rumors. Greg Norman claims unanimous support during Masters trip
2 mln private vehicles pass through Hong Kong