Law enforcement officials conduct a search at the Cologne strip club named Pasha.
Once more, the iconic "Pascha" brothel in Cologne, recognized by its pink facade, finds itself under scrutiny: On Thursday, authorities conducted a raid and search within its walls. Inside the office spaces, they removed numerous boxes brimming with documents. The allegation: Money laundering.
As chief prosecutor Daniel Vollmert of the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office explains, this raid revolves around the ongoing alleged smuggling case. Furthermore, money laundering suspicions also surface. Consequently, during the Thursday search, evidence concerning the "Pascha" building's purchase was secluded.
Should it be discovered that funds or resources regarded to the presumed smuggling activities were utilized in procuring or financing the property, this will be examined. The "Pascha" operator remains unaffected by accusations. Only office spaces were examined during the raid, with the brothel's operations remaining intact.
Evaluation of the confiscated evidence may span over several weeks to months, detailed Professor Vollmert.
Notably, about a month preceding this event, the public prosecutor's office stockpiled the "Pascha" establishment. They classified this as a preventive measure within the ongoing investigation against the suspected smuggling ring. The eleven-story pink building's proprietors are currently prevented from selling it.
The public prosecutor's office has been exploring this smuggling case for numerous months. Allegedly, this criminal organization had facilitated permission to reside in Germany for wealthier individuals from China and Oman on a significant scale. Previous raids were conducted in April across eight federal states, with two lawyers from the Cologne area posed as the alleged masterminds. There lingers a suspicion of bribery involving officials.
Given the allegations of money laundering associated with the proceeds from suspected smuggling activities, the operation of the "Pascha" brothel may face scrutiny in relation to prostitution. If it's proven that the property was purchased using such funds, it could potentially lead to legal actions against prostitution-related activities within the brothel.
In light of the ongoing investigation into the suspected smuggling ring, authorities are keeping a close eye on financial transactions related to the "Pascha" brothel, including any income derived from prostitution-related activities.
