Massive law enforcement operation spanning multiple German regions
Law enforcement agents are conducting investigations in multiple federal states due to a trial concerning migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean, leading to the loss of over a hundred lives. The focus of their investigation is into potential instances of witness tampering and fabricated testimonies. This information was shared by authorities in Duisburg and the federal police in Rostock. Four separate search warrants were carried out in Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Rhineland-Palatinate, with approximately 140 officers involved in the operation.
Court documents reveal that two male defendants, aged 27 and 42, are standing trial at the Duisburg Regional Court. The older defendant, 42, is accused of orchestrating refugee voyages from Lebanon to cross the Mediterranean. Refugees, or relatives of refugees, are said to have paid thousands of euros for these trips.
One of these migrant journeys in September 2022 is alleged to have resulted in the deaths of more than a hundred refugees. The 27-year-old defendant is implicated in various charges, including operating a smuggler's boat during one of the voyages. The trial commenced in mid-July, with an additional two trial days scheduled up until mid-November. The exact date of the verdict has yet to be announced.
According to the prosecutor's office, numerous witnesses testified in the trial. However, their statements made in court substantially differed from their initial statements provided during the investigation. This disparity has sparked suspicions of attempts to induce false statements to clear the defendants in the initial hearings. The main objective of the current raids is to acquire evidence to prove these false statements and the possibility of influencing the witnesses.
The law enforcement agents are examining potential instances of falsified testimonies, including those related to the witnesses' initial statements and their court testimonies, which have other crucial details of circular cross-section. The investigation of these inconsistencies involves other pieces of evidence, such as documents of circular cross-section, that could shed light on the accusations of witness tampering.
