This spring, a human trafficking group in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia that primarily facilitated German residency for Chinese millionaires was busted. The mastermind behind this operation has confessed, implicating local political parties and officials from multiple cities, including mayors.
In mid-April, 42-year-old Klaus B. was arrested. This lawyer from near Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia was accused of being the ringleader of a human trafficking group. Over the past 9 years, this group facilitated German visas and residency permits for about 350 Chinese millionaires, charging hefty fees in return. The 46-year-old lawyer involved in the case, Klaus’s partner Johannes D., is currently on the run.
Local media magazine “Focus” revealed that this luxury human trafficking operation began in Solingen in 2015. At the time, Klaus, then a business manager, targeted Chinese millionaires and collaborated with the city’s immigration office to bring them to Germany by establishing a general partnership (OHG).
Due to the necessity of processing through the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), a clerk noticed incomplete documents and raised concerns. However, under pressure from the Solingen city government, the operation was eventually given the green light. Thus, a human trafficking group targeting Chinese millionaires was established.
In 2019, the German consulate in Guangzhou issued a warning while reviewing the Solingen incident. Klaus was identified as the mastermind, suspected of setting up fake companies to assist wealthy individuals wanting to leave China to relocate to Germany and earn substantial kickbacks.
Klaus assured Chinese millionaires that they could invest in Germany. He also spread information in Germany, such as that a Chinese millionaire was planning to open a nursing home with 80 units in Solingen, with an investment of approximately €500,000.
“Focus” magazine also disclosed a case where Klaus’s OHG company intended to hire a woman named W as the Chief Financial Officer. However, this position was fictitious, as W was originally a beauty salon owner in Beijing who paid €400,000 to obtain a German residency permit.
Overall, Klaus promised a total investment of €200 million for the city of Solingen. However, most of these investments did not materialize, leading investigators to suspect that a significant portion of the funds went into Klaus’s pockets.
Currently, several suspects involved in this trafficking case have been released one after another except for Klaus. In early June, he made a confession implicating officials from multiple cities, including politicians from various parties. The number of politicians involved in the case is increasing. The first mayor of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach from the Social Democratic Party, even submitted an application to the higher government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against himself “to dispel suspicions of wrongdoing.”
“Focus” magazine reported that this human trafficking case has now evolved into a political scandal in North Rhine-Westphalia. For example, Herbert Reul, the Minister of the Interior for the state government, received a €30,000 political donation from Klaus during the state government elections in 2022, with eight reported encounters. Reul clarified that he only met Klaus once, and the donation had no impact on him personally.
Local media also reported that Klaus had donation records to other organizations affiliated with the Christian Democratic Union, such as the North Rhine-Westphalia Young Union, each time amounting to a minimum of four digits.
This trafficking case primarily involves several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, with Solingen being a focal point. When Klaus conducted his first business deal, he encountered obstacles at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Therefore, the head of the Solingen city government intervened, pressuring both the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the immigration office to facilitate this “business model” jointly.
Klaus claimed that these millionaires were concerned about not being able to stay in Germany permanently. German officials advised on how to handle these concerns, promising lenient treatment. This issue implicates several Solingen officials, including members of both the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party.
In his confession, Klaus also mentioned political donations to the Solingen Social Democratic Party. The first mayor of the city, Tim Kurzbach, was named for soliciting a donation from a family business, which indeed made a €20,000 donation to Mayor Kurzbach at the end of 2020. However, Klaus’s statements conflicted with those of the Social Democratic Party state board, claiming they only learned about the donation recently. An investigation is ongoing to determine who is telling the truth.
The trafficking case remains under investigation, and the prosecutor’s office may need several more months to establish a trial schedule.