Public prosecutors in Cologne have launched an investigation into the involvement of a Chinese people smuggling gang operating through Europe’s largest brothel. The move follows concerns that the criminal syndicate was working with Chinese intelligence services.
The claims were first aired in the tabloid press, leading to authorities examining the “Pascha,” an eleven-story brothel catering to an estimated 1,000 clients per day using a team of 80 sex workers.
Media reports allege that the mega brothel housed multiple Chinese intelligence agents, leading to concerns that they could blackmail prominent clients. According to press reports, among those arrested by police is a lobbyist named “Claus B,” known for his political contacts.
The Pascha was reportedly purchased by a notorious Chinese smuggling gang through a third-party affiliate in 2021 for €11 million. German media claims it was used to launder money for the criminal network.
The network specialised in procuring residence permits for high-wealth Chinese individuals for €350,000 each. It is claimed to have smuggled multiple wealthy Chinese people into the country in the North Rhine-Westphalia region before ten leading members of the gang were arrested in April.
The intrigue over the Pascha comes amid a widening crackdown on alleged Chinese intelligence assets in Germany, culminating in the arrest of three for allegedly providing industry secrets abroad and the dramatic arrest of a Chinese-born Alternative für Deutschland aide in the European Parliament late last month.
This is not the first time the Pascha has been at the centre of controversy. It was previously picketed by Islamic groups when it flew the flags of Muslim-majority countries during the 2006 World Cup and in 2017 it was raided by police for reasons which still remain unclear.
Brothel operator André Wienstroth has dismissed the claims that the Pashca was used by foreign intelligence services, even going so far as to offer a joke “discount for spies” on social media.
