“I’m not a criminal”

Customs investigators search the company of Paul Klassen. They believe that despite the embargo he may have delivered cars to Russia. The managing director denies it.

Ilja Regier

Minden. One day after the search, Paul Klassen is still upset. “I slept three hours last night and watched the camera footage of how they turned my company upside down.” The managing director from Minden is referring to a large-scale raid by customs investigators on Thursday at his firm near the station on Schwarzer Weg. Although investigations are under way against him, the luxury car dealer is convinced of his innocence and wants to show transparency for that very reason.

From the court order for the search, which is available to MT, it follows that Klassen is accused of violating the EU’s existing Russia embargo. It has been in place because of the war in Ukraine since the summer of 2022. According to the allegation, Klassen Automobile is said to have exported high-value vehicles to Russia via Belarus despite the ban on exporting passenger cars to Russia.

It is stated that investigations by the Customs Criminal Office revealed that ten Mercedes-Benz cars sold by Klassen were registered in Russia shortly after being exported to Belarus. According to Kim Beatrix Simon, spokesperson for the Bielefeld public prosecutor’s office, the managing director from Minden is being investigated for a violation of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act. No further information could be provided.

Paul Klassen admits that he sold these vehicles to Belarus. “That happened through customs, under German law — I can prove all of that,” the 48-year-old assures. He says he asked his business partners not to sell the cars to Russia. However, after delivery he cannot guarantee anything, he believes. Meanwhile, via a portal he found out that at least one of the ten cars is in Russia. “Probably all of them are,” he suspects.

Although the EU has also imposed extensive sanctions on Belarus because it supports Russia in the war in Ukraine and violates human rights, according to Klassen the sale of cars there was still possible in 2022. “The Chamber of Commerce and Industry also told us that,” says employee Irina Wirsum, who is responsible for finances at Klassen.

Paul Klassen shows the search order. He wants to show transparency, as he has nothing to hide.
MT photo: Ilja Regier

Managing director Paul Klassen believes that the search in this form, with around 40 officers, was not necessary. “We handed over all required documents, I unlocked my phone straight away. The officers would only have had to ask politely; he had nothing to hide. The court order states that the measure was nevertheless necessary due to the risk of loss of evidence.

Russia was an important sales market before the war.

Although the order states that investigators were mainly interested in the contract documents and sales logs, Klassen believes there was another reason: “They were surely looking for drug money at my place.” He also cannot understand why his private home was searched. All the neighbors asked why armed officers had been there. “I’m not a criminal.”

Klassen himself sold numerous cars to Russia before the war in Ukraine. Because of the sanctions, 40 percent of his business collapsed, he says. Since the beginning of the war, however, Klassen has repeatedly clearly taken Ukraine’s side. He made several trips with relief supplies and also enabled people to flee from the war zone. Overall, the German born in Tajikistan is disappointed with the justice system and with Germany in general. “I’m considering moving distribution to Monaco, France or Dubai.”

The investigations against Klassen are not an isolated case; numerous proceedings are under way against German car dealers for violations of Russia sanctions or illegal exports of luxury cars. For example, in December 2025 the Mannheim Regional Court sentenced the main accused managing director to three and a half years in prison for commercial violations of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act in 45 cases. According to the investigative project “Sanction Breakers,” Moscow’s elites continue to drive German luxury cars that are delivered by circumventing sanctions, above all via Kyrgyzstan.

The author can be reached at (0571) 882168 or Ilja.Regier@MT.de

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https://www.mt.de/lokales/mind...