Deutsche Bank offices raided in money laundering probe - BBC

Officials declined to comment on who, at the bank, or which foreign companies are being investigated.

"No further information can be provided regarding the background of the business relationships, the transactions processed through Deutsche Bank AG, their scope, or the companies themselves," the prosecutor's office said.

German media reported that the case carries possible links to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, a claim his lawyers say is "entirely false and inaccurate".

A legal representative for Abramovich told the BBC on Thursday he has "no connection" to the raids on Deutsche Bank and "is neither under investigation nor suspected of any wrongdoing".

"The searches conducted this week relate solely to Deutsche Bank's alleged failure to comply with statutory reporting obligations under Germany's anti-money laundering framework and have nothing to do with Mr Abramovich whose name was only used as a way to draw media attention to the investigation.

"This is unacceptable and Mr Abramovich reserves all his rights in the matter," they added.

Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government and the European Union in March 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The oligarch, who made his fortune in oil and gas, is alleged to have strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he denies.

It is not the first time the bank's offices have been searched.

In 2018, its Frankfurt headquarters and five other offices in the city were raided in a money laundering operation involving about 170 police and officials.

That investigation looked into whether Deutsche Bank staff helped clients set up offshore accounts to "transfer money from criminal activities", and was focused on activities between 2013 and the start of 2018.