Rim robbery on a large scale: Borbet employees under suspicion!

Rim robbery on a large scale: Borbet employees under suspicion!

Things are currently getting turbulent in the automotive supplier industry: The rim manufacturer Borbet from Bad Langensalza is confronted with massive theft. According to research by MDR Thousands of high-quality rims have disappeared from the company's production over the years, causing damage estimated to be in the mid-six-figure range. However, it is feared that this amount could increase with further investigations.

At the center of the investigation is a Borbet employee who is suspected of having sold the missing rims privately via various online platforms. The investigators suspect that he may have received support from third parties. It is now being examined how it was even possible for the rims to leave the factory undetected without it being noticed by internal controlling.

Cartel involvement in the background?

The incident comes at an explosive time for the entire auto industry. The EU Commission recently imposed fines of around 458 million euros on 15 car manufacturers. Loud daily news These penalties are the result of a cartel that lasted over 15 years and concerned agreements about the recycling of scrap vehicles. The major brands VW, BMW and Renault, among others, were involved and exchanged individual agreements with car dismantling companies.

The aim of these agreements was to reduce the costs of dismantling and recycling end-of-life vehicles. By failing to provide information about the reusability of parts, manufacturers sought to withhold information that would inform consumers about recyclability.

Particularly explosive: Mercedes-Benz was spared this penalty thanks to the use of the leniency program, which allows companies to disclose their involvement in anti-competitive agreements and to reduce fines. Despite these downsides to the industry, demand for recycling capabilities and sustainability initiatives remains high. Consumers and regulators are increasingly demanding greater transparency regarding the environmental friendliness of vehicle parts.

In the meantime, the future of Borbet's Bad Langensalza location, which employs around 900 people, remains uncertain. The company employs a total of more than 4,500 people at several locations in Germany and beyond. Well-known customers include BMW, Porsche, VW and Mercedes, which further underlines the importance of compliance standards and internal security measures.

The case raises questions about the effectiveness of internal controls and it remains to be seen what measures Borbet will take to resolve the situation and ensure the integrity of its production operations. The developments of the next few weeks could be significant not only for Borbet, but for the entire automotive supplier industry, especially at a time when sustainability and responsible business are becoming increasingly important.

Fortunately, there are also bright spots: the attention of the authorities could, in the long term, lead to an improvement in internal control systems, which are becoming increasingly important in strengthening consumer trust in the industry.

As the investigation continues, the question remains: who has the hard evidence and will change the system to prevent such abuses in the future?