Customs arrest four luxury car smugglers
Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, exporting luxury goods to Russia has been prohibited. A gang from Hesse is reportedly bypassing this ban and smuggling over 170 luxury cars worth millions to Russia. Customs officials have now intervened.
A gang from Hesse is suspected of illegally selling luxury cars worth millions to Russia despite an export ban. Customs officials searched over two dozen residential and commercial properties in the Offenbach am Main and Aschaffenburg areas as part of the investigation into these sales. A spokesperson for the Frankfurt Customs Investigation Office confirmed that arrest warrants were executed against a 40-year-old woman and three men aged between 39 and 44.
According to an EU regulation, it is prohibited to sell luxury goods to Russia. The four suspects are accused of violating these embargo regulations. Since the end of 2022, they are believed to have sold over 170 luxury cars to Russia. The network of the organization is reportedly spread throughout Germany. Numerous other accomplices are said to have supported the gang's activities. There are believed to be close ties to Russian neighboring countries.
The investigators secured around 300,000 Euros in cash and extensive business records during the searches and seized five high-priced vehicles. It is also reported that an asset freeze of approximately 13.3 million Euros was obtained. This freezes the access to this money, which is believed to have been earned through criminal activities. Customs officials were reportedly led to the suspects based on tips from the Federal Office for the Investigation of Suspicious Financial Transactions.
There were earlier searches in Rheinland-Pfalz due to similar allegations. However, according to a spokesperson for the Frankfurt Customs Investigation Office, there is currently no evidence of a connection between the two cases.
- Due to the sanctions against Russia, exporting luxury goods to Russia is strictly prohibited by EU regulations.
- The Customs Criminal Investigation Office is investigating a gang from Hesse for violating these sanctions by illegally selling over 170 luxury cars to Russia, resulting in the seizure of over 300,000 Euros and five high-priced vehicles.
- Despite the ban on exporting luxury goods to Russia, the luxury goods industry continues to be a target for smuggling and circumventing sanctions, as demonstrated by the actions of this gang.
