With a major raid, investigators took action against a criminal family clan in several North Rhine-Westphalian cities on Wednesday.
Five members of the clan are accused of having made millions of dollars and money laundering through illegal transactions - including with water pipe tobacco.
In addition, members of the extended family are said to have received unjustified corona aid and have not taxed considerable rental income for years.
The demands of the Treasury add up to more than one million euros.
A lawyer is also under investigation.
According to the specialist department for economic criminal matters of the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office, he is suspected of having participated in money laundering.
"By the alleged perpetrators 'washed' the money, distributed it back and forth among family and friends and to different accounts, they apparently hoped to cover their tracks," said North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Justice Peter Biesenbach (CDU) of the FAZ Exactly there should be started, the law enforcement authorities followed the trail of the money, looked for sources of financing and came across criminal offenses.
“We see the large amounts of money being moved.
We see the swanky houses and the cars.
And we ask ourselves: where does this wealth actually come from?”