German police have raided homes connected to Hamas and pro-Palestinian groups on suspicion of money laundering and other financial crimes.
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said a “large-scale” operation had been taking place in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate since early Tuesday.
A BKA statement said the raids were part of an investigation into ”suspected financial and material support of a foreign terrorist organization”.
The investigation is being led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Koblenz. The BKA said that the actions were connected to the Dubai-based Palestinian charity organization Al-Aqsa International Foundation.
Police said that multiple properties were searched and several arrests were made. They added that the raids are part of a ”comprehensive investigation” into the financing and organization of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.
The BKA said that the raids were conducted in close coordination with the prosecutor’s office and German intelligence services. They added that the searches had been conducted professionally and peacefully.
