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Blackmail attempts in Berlin: twin brothers threaten businessman!
Berlin police search apartments because of blackmail attempts against businessman; Weapons and evidence found.
Blackmail attempts in Berlin: twin brothers threaten businessman!
In a worrying case of blackmail, several apartments in Berlin were searched this Wednesday. On behalf of the public prosecutor's office, the Berlin police carried out extensive investigations in Hakenfelde, Buckow, Neukölln and Tempelhof to investigate suspicions of attempted predatory extortion against two 44-year-old twin brothers who act as silent partners in a construction company. A 43-year-old businessman had paid the company €95,000 in advance to offset future services, but this led to a bitter dispute.
The situation escalated when the twin brothers put pressure on the businessman in June. He was threatened with death and forced to hand over his Rolex watch and his Mercedes GLA as “compensation”. The businessman could no longer withstand the pressure and partially handed over his Rolex watch. According to the Berliner Zeitung, two other men, a 37-year-old and a 29-year-old, were previously hired to blackmail the same businessman in April 2025. They demanded back 30,000 euros that they had invested in preparations, although they said they would forego a fee of 200,000 euros after rejecting the order.
Disturbing finds during the searches
During the searches, the police not only seized electronic data carriers, but also discovered a number of suspicious items: including a blank gun, a machete, a knife as well as numerous balaclavas and a stab protection vest. Particularly alarming was the discovery of a fake driver's license and a high-quality Rolex watch. However, no arrests have been made so far. The investigation also concerns allegations of attempted joint extortion and a violation of the War Weapons Control Act, while investigators continue to examine the possible links between the two cases.
A look at the numbers of organized crime in Berlin provides a disturbing context: In 2023, a total of 66 investigation complexes with 485 suspects were recorded. Although a slight decrease can be observed compared to 2022, the potential threat from criminal groups remains high. Violence or intimidation occurred in more than half of the complexes and police were able to temporarily secure over €9 million in assets. Clan crime and Russian-Eurasian criminal organizations in particular represent a major challenge for the security authorities. These backgrounds illustrate the need for decisive action by the police and the public prosecutor's office.
Recent events have shed a bright light on the current problems in the area of organized crime and show that the fight against such machinations in Berlin is anything but won. It remains to be seen what further information the ongoing investigations will uncover.
For more information about the searches and the background to the extortion attempts, read more on City report or on Berlin newspaper. You can also find a detailed overview of organized crime in Berlin here: Berlin.de.