Ten suspects have been arrested in a major raid to break an international people smuggling ring illegally bringing Chinese nationals to Germany, authorities said.
More than a thousand officers from the federal police and other law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation early Wednesday, which spanned eight states.
A total of 101 residential and commercial properties were searched, including two law offices, according to the federal police in Sankt Augustin near Bonn.
Taking advantage of special rules for foreign skilled workers, the suspected smuggling ring is said to have obtained residence permits for around 350 mainly Chinese nationals in exchange for five- and six-figure sums.
Raids were carried out in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Berlin, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Property was also seized and other evidence collected.
The investigation focused on the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the ten suspects – including two lawyers – were taken into custody.
In 2022, federal law enforcement agencies recorded 4,936 cases of human smuggling across Germany – an increase of almost 30% compared to the previous year.
