Overview
- Customs officers detained the suspects in Lübeck and the surrounding Herzogtum Lauenburg district, with searches in Frankfurt and Nuremberg.
- Investigators estimate the operation handled at least €30 million in transactions since February 2022.
- Prosecutors identify a German-Russian, named as Nikita S., as running the Lübeck trading company and using fronts, fictitious buyers and a linked Russian recipient.
- Authorities report suspected involvement by Russian state agencies and list at least 24 defense companies in Russia as end users.
- An asset freeze equal to the alleged proceeds has been ordered, five additional suspects remain at large, and exported items reportedly included ball bearings and semiconductor devices.