Today the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Berlin and the Berlin Police dismantled an organised crime group suspected of international motor vehicle crime. Four arrest warrants were issued this morning against two Germans, one Jordanian and one Polish national between the ages of 30 and 52. 18 search warrants in Berlin, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony against 16 other suspects were issued as well. As a result of the house searches, various pieces of evidence were confiscated, among which eight cars, a motorcycle, various data carriers, specialised tools for breaking into vehicles as well as cash and drugs. The operation involved around 250 police officers and was supported by Europol. Yesterday, investigators already arrested a 46-year-old suspended police officer, who is allegedly involved in the case. The complex investigation was coordinated by a specialised Office for Organized Crime at the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office. Overall 23 suspects of different nationalities were identified and accused of different crimes; among them theft, fraud, falsification of documents and violations of the arms act as well as bribery. The investigations were initiated in November 2017, and revealed the registration of vehicles in addition to falsified Slovenian and Austrian documents as well as falsified registration certificates from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The investigations covered various EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Sweden) as well as Algeria.C.S. Europol
