<img alt="Two operators of a pawn shop on Hamburg‘s Sternschanze were arrested for suspected loan fraud. (Symbolic image) Soeren Stache/dpa” src=”https://cdn.sat1regional.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/17192515/image-287.jpg”/>
Two operators of a pawn shop on Hamburg’s Sternschanze were arrested for suspected loan fraud. (Symbolic image) Soeren Stache/dpa
Two operators of a Hamburg pawn shop have been arrested for gang and commercial fraud. The Hamburg police announced today that the men, aged 51 and 59, and two other operators are being investigated. The arrests were made on Tuesday.
The four men are said to have run a pawn shop together in Sternschanze since 2021 and offered loans with the promise of profits. Instead of investing these in the business as contractually agreed, the suspects used loans totaling around 3.7 million euros for other purposes.
They are also said to have used a bond worth more than 10 million euros sold on the stock market for private purposes. For this purpose, funds were transferred through the accounts of family members. According to the police, another man and two women are being investigated for money laundering.
Search also in Schleswig-Holstein
There were searches at ten locations in Hamburg and three in Schleswig-Holstein on Tuesday, the police said. This included the residences and business addresses of the suspects and two witnesses. Assets amounting to 4.4 million euros were provisionally secured.
