The public prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt am Main began a large-scale raid on Tuesday morning, focusing on suspected bribery within the construction industry. According to Chief Public Prosecutor Dominik Mies, approximately 300 officers from the police, the tax investigation unit, and customs are currently searching 34 locations in the Rhine-Main area and Bavaria.
A total of 28 suspects are accused of paying or receiving bribery funds since 2019 to secure preferential building contracts. Four individuals were arrested in connection with the operation due to fears of their fleeing or concealing themselves.
Among those taken into custody are three construction managers from major, nationwide real estate companies suspected of receiving bribery funds amounting to millions of euros, as well as the managing director of a construction firm alleged to have provided these payments. Investigators estimate the total damage linked to the scheme to be approximately 12.5 million euros.
In addition to the property searches, authorities are also executing an asset seizure operation for the full amount of damages investigated so far, resulting in the confiscation of vehicles and real estate belonging to the suspects. During the ongoing searches, police have already recovered cash in the five-figure range, including €14,500 found under a mattress in the home of one of the arrested individuals.
