from Fabian Ziehe and Magdalena Haupt. Published on SWR on April 1, 2025.
Investigators searched 40 properties in four German states and Italy, executing numerous arrest warrants. The Stuttgart area was a particular focus of the operation. A police officer was also arrested.
Police conducted large-scale raids against organized crime in four German states on Tuesday. In addition to Baden-Württemberg, the operation also took place in Rhineland-Palatinate , Saarland , and North Rhine-Westphalia. A focus of the operation was the Stuttgart region. Searches were also carried out in Italy. Baden-Württemberg is considered an important operating area for the Italian Mafia. The operation involved 350 officers and additional special units.
Among those arrested is a 46-year-old chief inspector from the Aalen police headquarters. He is accused of breaching official secrecy. Investigators in Germany were led to him. According to police, the officer, who himself worked in the Rems-Murr district, has no Italian roots. He is now in pretrial detention, it was announced at the press conference. Investigators stated that he had been under suspicion since 2021. He was transferred internally after the initial suspicion arose. “This allowed us to ensure that no further information was leaked,” said Aalen Police Chief Reiner Möller.
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