One million gigabytes of data: LKA investigators sink into escape jobs

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

The investigation of the exhaust gas scandal in the automotive industry limits the investigators. The research at Daimler, Porsche and Bosch is vast and complicated. The Criminal Investigation Office of Baden-Württemberg urgently seeks a reinforcement

The investigation team of the Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) of Baden-Württemberg must investigate the diesel case concerning automaker Daimler and Porsche. "Efforts are currently being made to recruit staff to augment our diesel case investigation team, and we are adjusting our order backlog and can not avoid strengthening it," he said. Thomas Lutz, director of the LKA department. In 2016, the "Nox" investigation group had between 15 and 20 employees. How many are added as reinforcement, was initially unclear. A conclusion of the investigation is not in sight.

During the investigation, the agents had to acquire a lot of technical expertise, Lutz said. "We've been told how engine engine control works, to understand how defeat devices work, and what is supposed to be prohibited." There is a lot of evidence in digital form. "Looking at a year, a guaranteed data volume of a petabyte has been exceeded." A petabyte equals one million gigabytes.

According to Lutz, research is tedious. "In our opinion, this year we will probably not be able to complete the investigation." Economic crime procedures usually have a treatment period of two years to five years. The Economic Crime Department, which also includes environmental crime and corruption, has 110 employees. "We are very heavily laden," said Lutz. 72 experienced investigators retire

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These procedures have reportedly increased considerably since the police reform with the badignment of all major criminal economic procedures to the criminal police of the Land, said Lutz . In addition to the case of the exhaust gases, officials check, for example, the circumstances of the bankruptcy of the kitchen manufacturer Alno. Relaxation is not in sight, according to Lutz. The situation is exacerbated by a wave of retirements