German police arrest two in Duisburg 'clan crime' raids

DPA
·2 min read
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A police officer stands at the counter during a search of a gambling hall. Police, customs, the public order office and the tax investigation department jointly searched premises in Duisburg under suspicion of illegal gambling under the watchful eye of NRW Interior Minister Reul. -/dpa
A police officer stands at the counter during a search of a gambling hall. Police, customs, the public order office and the tax investigation department jointly searched premises in Duisburg under suspicion of illegal gambling under the watchful eye of NRW Interior Minister Reul. -/dpa
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German police and customs officers on Saturday night conducted a series of raids against what they termed "clan crime" in the western city of Duisburg.

Two arrests were made during raids at 23 locations, the police said. The focus was on commercial premises like tearooms, gambling halls, betting shops, restaurants, barbershops and shisha bars in the city area.

The term clan crime is controversial in Germany because, according to critics, it stigmatizes and discriminates against people with a migration background due to their family affiliation and origin.

Duisburg and other cities in the Ruhr industrial region have large immigrant populations.

According to a police statement, six businesses were closed, eight arrest warrants were executed and 16 criminal charges, 16 misdemeanour charges, 20 warnings and five driving bans were issued.

Officers seized narcotics, a telescopic baton and three illegal gambling devices, but the results of the operation evidently fell short of expectations.

"We need staying power in the fight against clan crime," said Herbert Reul, the interior minister of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. "We don't catch the big fish every time. But we are disruptive."

The latest raids showed that criminals "can never feel safe," Reul added.

Employees of the NRW tax investigation department stand by gambling machines during a search of a gambling hall. Police, customs, the public order office and the tax investigation department jointly searched premises in Duisburg under suspicion of illegal gambling under the watchful eye of NRW Interior Minister Reul. -/dpa
Employees of the NRW tax investigation department stand by gambling machines during a search of a gambling hall. Police, customs, the public order office and the tax investigation department jointly searched premises in Duisburg under suspicion of illegal gambling under the watchful eye of NRW Interior Minister Reul. -/dpa
Employees of the NRW tax investigation department stand by gambling machines during a search of a gambling hall. Police, customs, the public order office and the tax investigation department jointly searched premises in Duisburg under suspicion of illegal gambling under the watchful eye of NRW Interior Minister Reul. -/dpa
Employees of the NRW tax investigation department stand by gambling machines during a search of a gambling hall. Police, customs, the public order office and the tax investigation department jointly searched premises in Duisburg under suspicion of illegal gambling under the watchful eye of NRW Interior Minister Reul. -/dpa