German customs break up luxury car smuggling ring to Russia

German customs officers executed arrest warrants on three men and a woman in connection with the export of 170 luxury cars to Russia in contravention of European Union sanctions, the Frankfurt customs office reported on Friday, said dpa.

The officers had searched two dozen residential and business premises in the regions around Offenbach and Aschaffenburg to the east of Frankfurt, seizing cash, five vehicles and documents, the office said. Three men aged between 39 and 44, and a woman aged 40 were arrested.

"In specific terms, they are suspected of having sold or exported more than 170 luxury vehicles to Russia since the end of 2022, despite the sanctions in force," a statement released by the customs office said.

Customs officers seized €300,000 ($320,000) in cash and attached around €13.3 million in assets, preventing the accused from accessing the assets, which have been linked to the crime.

Investigations in combination with Frankfurt prosecutors had revealed a network of groups operating across Germany, the customs office said. The network had also maintained links to numerous Eastern European countries as well as states bordering Russia.

The customs office went into action on the basis of information from Germany's Financial Intelligence Unit, a federal agency tasked with tracking illegal financial transactions.