Investigations - Credit fraud and money laundering: 56 searches
Investigators have searched 56 houses, apartments and offices in several federal states in connection with money laundering, document forgery and credit fraud. Assets with a total value of 6.3 million euros were seized on Tuesday in North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate, according to the State Criminal Police Office in Düsseldorf. These included cash, real estate, a luxury car, expensive watches, handbags and jewelry.
A 40-year-old suspect was arrested. He was to be brought before a magistrate on Tuesday. A total of 29 suspects aged between 26 and 63 are being investigated. The group is alleged to have falsified salary statements, bank statements, employment and rental contracts and presented them to banks between February 2017 and August 2022.
According to the investigation, they used these documents to offer financial services in return for commission. They faked the creditworthiness of their customers at the banks and arranged loans to finance real estate or expensive vehicles. In some cases, the suspects also secured loans for themselves. According to the statement, the total amount of money paid out is around 12 million euros.
Seven of the suspects are alleged to have laundered money. Police, tax investigators and customs officials searched properties in Aachen, Arnsberg, Beckum, Bochum, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Kaarst, Kleve, Cologne, Langefeld, Meerbusch, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Neuss, Ratingen, Rösrath, Witten, Wuppertal (all NRW), Frankfurt am Main (Hesse), Hameln (Lower Saxony), Kaiserslautern and the surrounding area (Rhineland-Palatinate), Munich, Schwaig near Nuremberg (Bavaria) and Schwäbisch Hall (Baden-Württemberg).
Police statement
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- The LKA in Düsseldorf is leading the investigations into the case of credit fraud and money laundering, involving 56 searches across various federal states.
- The total seized assets in the operation against money laundering and document forgery amounted to 6.3 million euros, with expensive watches and jewelry being among the items confiscated.
- The 40-year-old suspect, now under investigation, was arrested in Düsseldorf in connection with the alleged credit fraud scheme.
- The investigators are looking into the activities of 29 suspects aged between 26 and 63, accused of falsifying employment contracts, bank statements, and other documents.
- In North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate, the group is suspected of using the forged documents to secure loans of around 12 million euros.
- Seven individuals from different cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg are reportedly involved in money laundering activities.
- Additionally, the police, tax investigators, and customs officials conducted searches in various cities in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Rhineland-Palatinate, seeking evidence related to the forgery of documents.
- The alleged criminality extends beyond the scope of credit fraud and money laundering, with suspicions of jewelry-related crimes also being investigated by the police in different federal states.
Source: www.stern.de
