Document for naturalization: Investigators uncover fraud with language certificates

Aschaffenburg. They are said to have organized illegal language certificates on a large scale - throughout Germany and Austria: After a search operation in North Rhine-Westphalia and Munich, the responsible Aschaffenburg investigative authorities caught several suspects. Language certificates must be presented to the authorities if someone wants to become naturalized in Germany.

During the searches on Wednesday, investigators said they also discovered a professional “forgery workshop” with high-quality printers to produce false documents and ID cards. They found a firearm on a suspect.

Since 2025, the public prosecutor's office and police in Aschaffenburg have been investigating several suspects who are accused of gang-related and commercial smuggling of foreigners, gang-related and commercial forgery of documents, and other crimes. The suspects are said to have created and sold hundreds of illegal language certificates.

First, they are said to have forged the language certificates. However, as the authorities took an increasingly closer look, the suspects started sending another person with a fake ID to take the language tests.

The first searches and preliminary arrests took place in July, and this was followed by a major operation with searches in more than 30 properties. Forces from Austria were also on board, and there was also support from Europol. Seven suspects between the ages of 26 and 46 were arrested and there were arrest warrants against them.

The Münster police announced that they are also conducting an independent investigation together with the Warendorf police; five suspects were arrested and are now in custody. The presumption of innocence applies until a possible lawful conviction.