Stendal (dpa/sa) - A 33-year-old and a 38-year-old are said to have smuggled people from Vietnam into their apartment in Stendal and employed them in their cosmetics shop there. The federal police searched residential and business premises in the city on Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of smuggling. 58 officers were deployed, she said in the evening. The two suspects are also said to have failed to pay taxes to the state. The federal police confiscated more than 59,000 euros in cash.
During the searches, an 18-year-old was found who was in Germany without permission. The federal police have instituted criminal proceedings against him for illegal entry and illegal stay. He was given a so-called start-up certificate, with which he must report to the immigration authorities. A decision will be made there whether he will be expelled or whether he can apply for a residence permit, said a spokeswoman.
The emergency services also secured a large number of pieces of evidence on the premises, such as electronic storage media, various documents and business documents about employment relationships and several cell phones. The 18-year-old and the two main suspects are Vietnamese citizens.
