Following a two-year-long inquiry period - Arrest of mafia crime lord in grandchild swindling case
Lichtenberg, Grevesmühlener Straße in Berlin, 6:45 AM - A group of police officers from the 16th squad and investigators from LKA 263 (grandchild fraud) are preparing to raid the house of a gang leader. They carry a battering ram, their faces hidden by masks for protection.
Their target is Kovaolo P. (21), but he's not the only one. Believe it or not, this operation is international. Other police officers are also raiding the homes of his mother Beata (50) in Wroclaw, Poland, and Daniel A. (22) in Budapest, Hungary.
Right on cue, at exactly 7 AM, the door to the Lichtenberg apartment flies open. Crying children and screaming women fill the scene as the police show up. Kovaolo P., a 170-kg behemoth, is apprehended without resistance. The LKA agents calm the family, assuring them they're the good guys.
A search ensues, the apartment, cellar, and a black Audi A4 are all combed through. Kovaolo P. is the target of a European arrest warrant. The reason? Fraud and money laundering. The gang leader had been in hiding in Berlin for three months, living with his family in a cramped backyard unit.
Investigators in Poland and Berlin have been tracking the Enkeltrick gang for over two years. Over a hundred crimes have been meticulously documented. This group has at least 30 members and has caused over 815,000 euros in losses.
"At the pinnacle of this organization are the masterminds, often siblings and parents," an LKA agent explains. "Then come the organizers, the phone callers, and at the very bottom are the collectors." The gang members are often related to each other, and most are Polish Roma families.
7:40 AM, Lichtenberg - The officers uncover wads of cash, luxury watches, and other items used by the gang. They find SIM cards, cell phones, and Polish phone books - regular office supplies for the shock call mafia. Their colleagues in Hungary and Poland chime in with reports of successful seizures too.
In the end, the operation wraps up around 8 AM. The seized evidence is analyzed. According to Sebastian Höhlich, head of anti-grandchild fraud at the LKA, "Just like the criminals, we are internationally connected. This has paid off once again. No grandchild trick culprit can feel safe anymore, whether they're calling Berlin from abroad or other countries from the capital."
P. will be extradited to Poland in the next few days. The trio arrested there face potentially eight to 15-year prison sentences.
On the news, more arrests elsewhere - a pick-up man gets taken down in Charlottenburg. He's a part of a different gang, says an LKA agent, "We won't let up."
What to do if a con caller rings you:
What do you do if you receive a call from a trickster?
These scammers make you think you need to pay for some urgent assistance. They frequently pretend that one of your relatives committed a crime or had an accident and faces a jail sentence. They encourage you to wire money or pay compensation.
These tricksters use the shock and time pressure they've created to force you to act hastily. They convince you they're family and prevent you from reaching out to your actual family or the police.
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) recommends:- Don't comply with their demands- Don't get sucked into a conversation or get induced to panic- Simply hang up. Refrain from sharing personal or financial details on the phone.- Contact your real family on a known phone number.- Remember, the police or similar authorities will never ask you to hand over cash or valuables over the phone.- Never hand over money or valuables to unknown people.- Never let unfamiliar people into your house or apartment.- If you've received such a call, report the incident to your local police immediately. END
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Source: symclub.org
