German police raided a Georgian criminal gang engaged in theft and burglary, searching 18 premises across the country on Wednesday and arresting the suspected ringleader.
Stuttgart prosecutors leading the investigation said the raids had taken place in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and North Rhine Westphalia, starting in the early hours and focussing on truck stops which the gang had used to store stolen goods and money.
Baden-Württemberg Interior Minister Thomas Strobl said 1,000 officers were involved in the raids which centred on the Stuttgart region.
The suspects are reported to belong to Georgian-dominated group linked to criminals from the states of the former Soviet Union.
Strobl said the group was involved in drugs and corruption and used violence up to homicide. “This concerns a serious threat that we are acting decisively against. Organized crime is a particular threat to the rule of law and our society,” he said.
Baden-Württemberg gave high priority to fighting organized crime, he said. “We will not let go and will act over the long term and with great emphasis against organized crime in all its forms,” Strobl added.
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