A wave of racketeering is gaining strength in the regions of Germany, reports the news agency dpa, citing police and prosecutors, and citing a series of explosions at small shops in Frankfurt am Main (in the photo) and Offenbach. The police and prosecutors stated that this is about so-called 'violence as a service' (Violence as a Service), that is, racketeering: criminals blackmail business owners and, if they do not pay, carry out their threats. A 21-year-old suspect has been arrested in one of the cases. 'They often recruit minors or young offenders who then threaten, commit assaults, or murders for payment,' said the Federal Criminal Police Office. They noted that recruitment often occurs through online platforms or messengers, with explosions being the most commonly ordered service from the perpetrators, writes Deutsche Welle. According to dpa, the new wave of racketeering is particularly strong in the states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, as well as in Berlin. The Criminal Police Office of Hesse stated that there is a 'new dimension' of organized crime - several dozen cases are currently being investigated for suspected racketeering. This wave of crimes began in 2024 and intensified significantly in 2025.
