New task force: Berlin wants fewer fines and more confiscation orders

A new task force has recently been set up in Berlin. As is typical of the authorities, it bears the rather uninspiring name "Cooperation Platform for Combating Organized Crime with a Focus on Profit-Skimming Crime in Berlin's Commercial Sector" and is abbreviated to "OK BeGe". But why is there a new task force and what does the Berlin justice administration hope to gain from it?

It was only on January 24 that we at GambleJoe reported on the increase in Berlin's slot machine tax to 25%. A few days later, Berlin's Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg (CDU) presented a new task force in the fight against organized crime. The "OK BeGe" is attached to the justice administration and the district public order offices are to be given better opportunities to take action against criminals. All districts are participating in the new task force - with the exception of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district.

Illegal proceeds are to be withdrawn from organized crime

The aim is to deprive organized crime of as much of the illegally earned money as possible. To this end, Berlin's public order offices will in future primarily use so-called confiscation orders. This means that the illegal wins are to be siphoned off directly.

Up to now, conventional fines have been used not only in Berlin, but throughout Germany. The problem: the fine for an illegal gaming machine was often "only" 500 euros. However, the perpetrators usually generated significantly higher revenues with the machines, which made the business lucrative despite the fact that they were ultimately "caught".

The new strategy of "confiscation orders instead of fines" is to be applied not only to illegal gaming machines, but also to e-cigarettes and delivery services in the capital. A similar pilot project has already been running in Berlin for a year and a half. Here, the regulatory authorities have already carried out a total of five legally binding confiscation proceedings in which a total of more than 171,000 euros has been demanded. The public order office in Treptow-Köpenick has been particularly "diligent". In addition, there are further proceedings that have yet to be decided by the courts.

Berlin's Senator for Justice Badenberg sums it up perfectly in one sentence:

"The aim remains to specifically combat organized crime in its financial structures".

Conclusion

In fact, the new task force of the Berlin justice administration sounds promising for a change. If the public order offices succeed in carrying out more confiscation proceedings and bringing them to a legally binding conclusion, this should make a noticeable dent in the coffers of organized crime. In any case, no organized crime player will be impressed by fines of a few hundred euros and certainly not deterred from their actions.

Source of the image: https://pixabay.com/de/photos/stadt-architektur-gebäude-berlin-4468570/