The Financial Control of Undeclared Work unit of Dresden Main Customs Office carried out inspections in Leipzig on November 2, 2026. The checks covered 12 sites, mainly in the east of the city, including bars, shisha bars and retail shops.
The inspections targeted undeclared work and illegal employment in sectors considered particularly vulnerable to clan crime. Officials found indications in several cases of withheld or misappropriated wages, fraud and failures to register workers immediately; these cases require further examination.
Customs units were joined by the Saxony State Criminal Police Office, the Federal Police, tax investigators, the Leipzig Police Directorate and the city’s public order service. Around 200 personnel took part in the operation.
The agencies identified criminal, financial, immigration and administrative offences within their respective remits and initiated proceedings. The reported violations included breaches of laws on drugs, weapons and tobacco tax, as well as immigration rules.
Authorities cited seven violations of drug and cannabis laws, eight immigration-related violations and three breaches of the Weapons Act. At one site, they seized six kilograms of untaxed water-pipe tobacco. Identity checks were carried out on 122 people in total.
As part of a Leipzig Public Prosecutor’s Office investigation into suspected drug dealing, officers searched a commercial property on Eisenbahnstraße. They found large quantities of drugs. The Saxony State Criminal Police Office is handling the follow-up investigation.
A joint task force on clan crime has been operating since 2023 under the leadership of the Saxony State Criminal Police Office. Its work includes jointly assessing security-related developments and analysing criminal structures, with the Leipzig metropolitan area as its initial regional focus.
