German police search Deutsche Bank sites in money laundering probe

FRANKFURT: German federal police searched Deutsche Bank offices in Frankfurt and Berlin on Wednesday in an investigation related to money laundering, Frankfurt prosecutors said.
Money laundering lapses have cropped up at ⁠Germany’s largest lender over the years, prompting scrutiny from regulators, fines and police raids.
Prosecutors said they were investigating as-yet unidentified individuals and bank employees.
“In the past, Deutsche Bank maintained business relationships with foreign companies which, in the course of further investigations, ⁠are themselves suspected of having been used for money laundering purposes,” prosecutors said in an emailed statement.
Deutsche Bank confirmed the searches, but declined further comment.
“The bank is cooperating fully with the public prosecutor’s office,” it said.
The bank’s shares were 3 percent lower in mid-afternoon trade.
Two people with knowledge of the matter said the case involved transactions between 2013 and 2018. Prosecutors declined ⁠to comment on the time frame.
The searches come a day before Deutsche Bank is due to report its 2025 results, which could show its biggest net profit since 2007 if consensus forecasts are correct.
Prosecutors said they could not comment on the background of the business relationships, the transactions that passed through Deutsche Bank, their scope, nor the companies involved.