120 forces in action: raids in four federal states for fraud with Corona aid

In a total of four federal states, the police are investigating suspected gang fraud with Corona aids.

120 forces in action: raids in four federal states for fraud with Corona aid

In a total of four federal states, the police are investigating suspected gang fraud with Corona aids. The target is five men between the ages of 26 and 62. According to the investigators, damage of several million euros is said to have occurred.

The police have been searching 25 properties in four federal states since this morning on suspicion of gang fraud with emergency corona aid worth millions. The focus of the operation is in East Friesland in Lower Saxony, said a spokesman for the Osnabrück police department. There are also searches in North Rhine-Westphalia, Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg.

Five men between the ages of 26 and 62 are suspected. During the Corona crisis, they are said to have jointly applied for the Corona emergency aid in at least 104 cases and in at least 259 cases the subsequent bridging aid in Lower Saxony and other federal states in the amount of around 26 million euros for their own purposes and for companies during the Corona crisis.

According to the investigators, damage of several million euros is said to have occurred. The searches are carried out by the Osnabrück Central Criminal Inspectorate and the Oldenburg Public Prosecutor's Office. A total of around 120 workers are deployed. Cash and valuable watches were seized during the searches in Hamburg, Neumünster, Bonn, Oldenburg, Aurich, Wiesmoor and other communities in East Friesland. In addition, asset arrests in the amount of 3.5 million euros were issued.