Overview
- Schnittcher died on February 8 at age 76, according to the Brandenburg Justice Ministry.
- He led the Neuruppin public prosecutor's office specializing in corruption cases from 1996 to 2014.
- He became widely known for action against the so-called XY-Bande, which faced large-scale searches across several German states in August 2004.
- Prosecutor Frank Winter described the network as featuring mafia-like structures, and several members were later imprisoned.
- Olaf Kamrath, a former CDU city councillor, was convicted in 2006 as the gang's leader and sentenced to 12 years, while co-defendants also received prison terms.