German police conducted a major operation on Thursday against an international human trafficking and forced prostitution network. In five federal states, 31 premises were searched and three main suspects were detained – two Vietnamese nationals and one German. Approximately 19 Vietnamese women, who had been lured with promises of work, were removed from the suspected locations. The network's headquarters was believed to be in Halle. During the operation, 214,000 euros in cash were also seized.
Three arrests of network leaders
Three main suspects were detained: a 47-year-old Vietnamese woman, her 47-year-old partner, and the woman's 42-year-old brother. All are suspected of running an international criminal group involved in human trafficking and forced prostitution. Arrest warrants were issued against them.
Raids in five federal states
The operation covered 31 premises in five German states: Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, and Berlin. Private apartments, service premises, offices, and apartments serving as brothels were searched. The operation was coordinated by the prosecutor's office in Chemnitz.
19 women freed from prostitution
During the actions, police found and secured 19 Vietnamese women who were being forced into illegal prostitution. According to investigators, the women were brought to Germany under the false promise of well-paid legal work. One of them was taken into custody due to an outstanding fine.
Secured evidence and money
During the searches, significant amounts of money and items that could serve as evidence were secured: approximately 214,000 euros in cash, 33,000 euros in counterfeit banknotes, dozens of mobile phones, drugs of unknown origin, and a gas-powered weapon. All items will be subjected to analysis.
German police forces carried out a large-scale operation on February 26 against an organized criminal group specializing in human trafficking and forced prostitution. The actions, coordinated by the Chemnitz public prosecutor's office, involved simultaneous raids in five states: Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, and Berlin. A total of 31 premises were checked, including apartments, commercial premises, and apartments functioning as brothels. The main goal of the operation was to dismantle a network that had been bringing young women from Vietnam to Germany since at least spring 2024. The group's modus operandi was based on the classic pattern of human trafficking. Women were offered legal, well-paid jobs, and after being brought to the country, they were forced into prostitution, with their documents confiscated and their freedom restricted. The headquarters of the entire operation was believed to be located in the city of Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, from where the network extended to other regions. During the operation, officers encountered 19 Vietnamese citizens who were victims of this practice. One of them, against whom there was an arrest warrant for an unpaid fine, was placed in custody. The issue of human trafficking and forced prostitution has a long history in Germany, intensified after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the expansion of the European Union. Since the liberalization of prostitution law in 2002 (the so-called ProstG), which was intended to improve the working conditions of sex workers, the country has also become a target for international criminal groups exploiting legal loopholes. Police cooperation within Europol and Eurojust plays a key role in combating these crimes. Three suspects believed to be running the entire operation were detained. They are a 47-year-old Vietnamese woman, her 47-year-old partner, and the woman's 42-year-old brother. All have Vietnamese or German citizenship, and arrest warrants were issued against them by the prosecutor's office. In addition to them, the investigation includes „numerous other people” suspected of supporting the network, for example by providing premises. The operation also yielded rich evidence. Approximately 214,000 euros in cash were seized, suggesting the financial scale of the operation, as well as 33,000 euros in counterfeit banknotes. Furthermore, dozens of mobile phones, drugs of undetermined origin, and a gas-powered weapon of the air gun type were confiscated. All these items will undergo detailed forensic analysis, which may provide information about the network's scope and international connections. „Kriminelle sollen zahlreiche Frauen aus Vietnam nach Deutschland geschleust und zur Prostitution gezwungen haben.” (Criminals are alleged to have smuggled numerous women from Vietnam to Germany and forced them into prostitution.) — Police and Public Prosecutor's Office Chemnitz The investigation in this case has been ongoing since spring 2024, indicating long-term, coordinated intelligence work. The February 26 operation was the culmination of these efforts. The scale of the operation – five states and dozens of addresses – shows that German authorities treat combating organized human trafficking as a priority. Securing the victims and providing them with psychological and legal assistance will be the next challenge. Such groups often operate in a gray area, exploiting the helplessness of migrants and loopholes in the asylum system.