The largest brothel in Cologne, the Pascha, is at the center of a big smuggling scandal that involves local politicians, lawyers, and other public officials. Pascha is currently under state control, meaning it can’t be sold.
Background of the investigation
This smuggling scandal is one of the biggest cases handled by the Düsseldorf public prosecutor’s office.
It involves more than 60 people, including lawyers, local politicians, and employees from different government offices.
Earlier this year, a large police raid involving over 1,000 officers took down an international smuggling network that was allegedly bringing wealthy people, mostly from China, into Germany using fake documents, made-up addresses, and possibly even fake names.
The Pascha brothel was bought three years ago for €11 million by a company that investigators believe is linked to the smuggling network. At first, the sale seemed normal, as the previous owner had financial problems because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Few months ago, there was another raid in the building, for alleged tax evasion. Read the details here:
Changes at the Pascha
The Pascha has changed a lot over the past few years, and this is important for understanding the current scandal. Even though the brothel kept its famous name, the way it operates has reportedly changed, making people suspicious of illegal activities happening there. While everything seems normal on the ground floor, there are questions about what is happening on the upper floors.
Law enforcement sources suggest that the Pascha may be more than it seems, and that it is being used as a cover for illegal activities. Police have compared it to a magic show, saying that while people are distracted by what they see on the surface, something else is happening behind the scenes.
Smuggling and money laundering
The Pascha brothel is believed to be a key part of the smuggling network.
One of the main suspects is Jing Hu, who started a company with two lawyers from Cologne.
According to investigators, the new owners did not intend to run the brothel like before but instead wanted to use it as a cover for illegal activities.
It is believed that they handed over the daily operations to others while using the upper floors for smuggling purposes.
The smuggling network allegedly brought wealthy people from China, Arab countries, and India into Germany.
Each person was charged up to €360,000 for their illegal entry, and the money was reportedly laundered through the brothel’s income.
Some people think that Chinese spies may have been among those smuggled in, but there is no proof of this. Many of the people supposedly brought into the country have not been found, and their listed addresses in the Rhineland are empty.
Impact on local authorities
The scandal has had a big impact on various local government offices in North Rhine-Westphalia. Investigators have found links between people in local government and those involved in the smuggling activities. The scale of the case, with over 60 suspects, shows how large the network connected to the Pascha might be.
As the investigation goes on, there are still questions about the future of the Pascha and its role in the scandal. Since the property is now under state control, its future is uncertain, and the full extent of the illegal activities connected to it has yet to be uncovered.
Growing number of asian-related smuggling cases
The smuggling scandal involving Pascha is not the only case of its kind. There are more and more smuggling operations involving people from Asian countries happening across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Here are three recent cases that show this growing problem:
Smuggling involving thai prostitutes
A 45-year-old woman from Thailand admitted to renting rooms for illegal Thai prostitutes in Germany. Her case was heard at the Schwerin Regional Court, where she confessed to renting rooms for prostitution in different parts of northern Germany, like Winsen an der Luhe, Marne, Hamburg, and Schwerin. She charged €500 per week for each room and also took a share of the prostitutes’ earnings to cover the smuggling costs.
Prosecutors accused her of being involved in 34 smuggling cases, but she denied the smuggling charges. Her trial will continue in October, and a verdict is expected at the end of the month. Read the full story here.
Raid in Leipzig related to smuggling sex workers
In another case, a big police raid took place in the Leipzig district of Connewitz. Police were investigating a person who was suspected of smuggling sex workers into Germany. The person was accused of bringing two women from Vietnam, who crossed the border at Reitzenhain on July 18 with Hungarian visas.
The two Vietnamese women said they were tourists and showed their passports and Hungarian visas. But when police checked their luggage, they found no everyday items, only things used by prostitutes.
This made the police suspicious. The day before, someone else had tried to smuggle the same women into Germany, but that attempt failed.
The raid, approved by the District Court in Chemnitz, led to the police finding items linked to the smuggling, like smartphones, a router, a USB stick, and documents. Read the news article here.
Human trafficking ring in Hanau
In Hanau, Germany, a trial started for three people accused of running a human trafficking ring that smuggled 13 Chinese women into the country and forced them to work as prostitutes. The suspects, two women and one man aged between 45 and 60, face charges of human trafficking, tax evasion, and not paying social security contributions.
The group ran brothels in three German states: Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria. The victims were forced to work as prostitutes, and the group made a lot of money from their work. A raid in June 2023 led to the arrest of the suspects and the discovery of several brothels involved in the illegal activities. Read the details in this article.
