The primary defendants in a high-profile fraud case are linked to the Hells Angels: a web of deception, gold trading, missing millions, and organized crime. The case, investigated by Hamburg tax authorities, led to four arrests and charges of tax evasion totaling €27 million. SPIEGEL conducted an in-depth investigation, uncovering the elaborate VAT fraud scheme in a detailed video report.
Read the full SPIEGEL report here.
SPIEGEL identified the accused and some of their associated companies. Using this information, we at Palturai conducted our own analysis to detect anomalies within their network. Within minutes, our Palturai BusinessGraph reconstructed the case and revealed additional ‘interesting connections’ that might have been overlooked. If only the journalists had consulted us…
The Background of the Case
According to Hamburg tax authorities, the defendants allegedly sourced €80 million worth of precious metals from dubious suppliers and transported them to Berlin. To create a facade of legitimacy, they reportedly established a shell company in Hamburg, which issued falsified documents to make it appear as if the raw materials had been legally acquired from a Slovakian firm. However, undercover investigations revealed that no such transactions had ever occurred. An intriguing detail: two of the suspects are said to have known each other from their time in the French Foreign Legion.
Who Are the Key Figures?
The main defendant, D. F., is a Hells Angels member and spokesperson. The second defendant, A. S., a former Hells Angels associate, has a prior tax evasion conviction. Both individuals are linked to B. GmbH—one as managing director and the other as owner.
Investigators suspect that B. GmbH was part of a classic VAT carousel: continuously establishing new companies, shuffling goods back and forth (both real and fictitious), issuing invoices and credit notes, and systematically committing VAT fraud.
What If Palturai Had Been Used?
Undoubtedly, uncovering the intricate connections between these individuals and companies required significant effort and time. While investigative authorities did excellent work, too many resources were likely expended in the process.
Had they utilized the Palturai BusinessGraph, the investigation could have been drastically accelerated. With just a few clicks, critical insights would have surfaced—ranging from registry court data, which Palturai analyzes and presents in an intuitive interface, to hidden relationships such as business ties between spouses or suspicious company linkages.
If only they had consulted us…
Our application is unique, offering highly efficient investigative capabilities. We would be delighted to demonstrate this case in detail in a personalized demo.