Berlin raids expose €22,000-a-day bottle deposit fraud scheme in Kreuzberg
Berlin authorities have raided two warehouses in Kreuzberg as part of an investigation into a large-scale deposit fraud scheme. A 38-year-old business manager stands accused of relabelling non-refundable bottles to claim illegal refunds since 2019. Investigators suspect the operation may have generated up to €22,000 per day in fraudulent payouts. The Berlin State Criminal Police Office carried out the raids on Köpenicker Straße after suspicions arose over criminal trademark infringement and organised computer fraud. Officers seized a suspected reverse vending machine, its hard drive, and five large plastic bags filled with relabelled deposit bottles, tampered receipts, and business records.
The suspect allegedly worked with unidentified accomplices to affix deposit labels onto non-refundable plastic bottles. These bottles were then processed through the vending machine to fraudulently claim deposit refunds. The Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office is now leading the investigation, focusing on identifying any additional participants and calculating the total financial damage. Evidence collected during the raids is still under analysis. Authorities have not yet confirmed the full extent of the fraud but believe the scheme has been active for several years.
The investigation remains ongoing, with prosecutors examining seized materials to uncover further details. If convicted, the suspect and any accomplices could face charges related to fraud and trademark violations. The case highlights the scale of organised deposit fraud in the region.
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