Law enforcement officials have confiscated the red-light district establishment known as "Pascha" in Cologne.
Ongoing investigations have been focusing on individuals accused of illegally selling residence permits to wealthy Chinese, with one of Europe's biggest brothels, the Cologne "Pascha", being under scrutiny for quite some time. Despite the ongoing investigation, the "Pascha" remains operational.
Recently, the public prosecutor's office conducted a seizure of the Cologne brothel "Pascha". A spokesperson for the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office confirmed this seizure as an interim measure during the inquiry, stating, "This is a provisional seizure measure in the course of the investigation." Despite the seizure, the brothel is still permitted to operate.
The property including the building was seized around a month ago with the intention of preventing any asset transfer, according to the spokesperson. The current owners, who purchased the distinctive eleven-story pink building in 2021 after the brothel's insolvency, are now forbidden from selling the property. The spokesperson declined to provide further details regarding the background of the seizure.
Investigations have been ongoing for months regarding a human trafficking ring alleged to have granted residence permits on a large scale to wealthy individuals from China and Oman. In April, police conducted raids in eight German states, searching apartments. Two lawyers from the Cologne area are believed to be the ringleaders in this case. There are also suspicions that officials may have been bribed.
It was reported that a Chinese investor purchased the "Pascha" in 2021 after it faced insolvency.
The Commission, in light of these investigations, may seek assistance from the Member States to gather additional information or resources. Despite the seizure and ongoing investigation, the operation of the "Pascha" continues to be under scrutiny by the authorities.
