German police conduct raids over human trafficking

BERLIN – Some 180 police officers raided premises across western Germany on Thursday in connection with investigations into human trafficking.

Federal police searched several buildings looking for evidence regarding one German and 11 Syrian suspects. There were no arrests, Stuttgart federal police said in a statement.

The investigators confiscated cellphones, computers and identity papers. The suspects are accused of organized human trafficking and misusing identification cards.

Police said the investigation was triggered by a human trafficking case at Stuttgart airport in February 2018, which led them to further cases . They did not provide any more details and could not immediately be reached for comment.