Federal Finance Minister Lindner wants to fight organized crime and money laundering harder. He announces that customs should have more staff, more modern technology and new structures.
With more staff, modern technology and changed structures, Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner wants to intensify the fight against organized crime and money laundering.
“It is important to continue to fight highly conspiratorial and predominantly international criminal structures on an equal footing,” said the FDP chairman. “Our goal must be to get ahead of the criminal structures by becoming even more focused, efficient and powerful.”
Lindner therefore commissioned the General Customs Directorate to set up a combat center for organized crime (OC) in the Customs Criminal Police Office by the second quarter of 2025. Regional OC investigation centers are to be set up in the customs investigation service and in the financial control of undeclared work. There are also plans to set up an innovation center for technical deployment and investigation support for customs. The customs investigation service is also to be strengthened in terms of personnel – to what extent, however, is not yet certain.
Damage is in the billions
“We start where it hurts the criminals the most, namely with illegally obtained assets,” said Lindner. Therefore, specialized financial investigation and asset recovery units would also be set up. According to Lindner, the extent of the damage caused by organized crime is difficult to quantify. But it is in the billions.
When the Minister of Finance presented the concept in his ministry’s park, he was accompanied by masked, heavily armed officials who are deployed in operations against organized crime.
“Especially in the area of organized crime, the facts are becoming more and more complex, the perpetrators act professionally, the willingness to use violence is increasing,” said the President of the Customs Criminal Police Office, Tino Igelmann. You have to manage to be one step ahead of the criminal groups. Therefore, the technical innovation center is particularly important.
Source: Stern
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