The police and prosecutors are on the trail of a gang that is said to have stolen money on a large scale via fraudulent WhatsApp messages and phone calls. In the morning, investigators carried out 14 search warrants throughout North Rhine-Westphalia, including in Lüdenscheid.
Lüdenscheid – The police officers struck in several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia on Thursday morning and at the same time moved to 14 locations to search apartments and other objects. This prevents suspects from warning each other and covering up crimes.
The target persons are 14 suspects between the ages of 15 and 24 years. The investigating authorities accuse them of commercial gang fraud. In at least 100 cases, they are said to have stolen at least six-figure cash nationwide through Whatsapp fraud or by phone under false pretenses, as the police and public prosecutor announced in the morning.
Residential buildings in Lüdenscheid, Gelsenkirchen, Cologne, Essen, Duisburg, Niederzier near Düren and Bergheim and Kerpen in the Rhein-Erft district were searched. A special task force (SEK) was deployed in Kerpen due to indications that the suspect was armed.
At the same time, police officers executed pre-trial arrest warrants issued by the Hagen district court for two alleged main perpetrators from Duisburg (24) and Kerpen (16). Another person from Duisburg (16) was temporarily arrested.
Numerous pieces of evidence were seized during the searches, it is said, including mobile phones and a PTB weapon. The authorities are not disclosing any further details at this time. The statement said: “The investigation into the very extensive process is ongoing.”
