Previous Investigations

Picasso, Monet, Schiele: An international investigation has unveiled one of the most prestigious art collections ever assembled. Just before the onset of the war against Ukraine, the sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich  employed legal maneuvers to safeguard his invaluable art pieces. ››› 

The wastewater company Mosvodokanal compensates Russian soldiers and has granted contracts to the long-term partner of the company's boss. According to confidential documents, she invests in luxury real estate in Berlin, Germany. Accusations of corruption and money laundering loom large. ›››  

For two decades, the state-owned China Tobacco has undermined a significant anti-smoking agreement. An international investigation has revealed that this Chinese monopoly has obstructed or diluted health policy reforms, leading to predictions of millions more deaths. ›››  

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is in danger of collapsing in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: Russia is misusing it as a cover for spies - and to sabotage decisions. Experts from various countries have identified suspicious Russian personnel in the ranks of the OSCE. ››› 

In fall 2022, a secret commando blew up the Nord Stream pipelines. Since then, investigators in Germany and elsewhere have been searching the perpetrators. A joint investigation of Der Spiegel, ZDF, paper trail media and RiseMoldova/OCCRP reveals: The leads investigators have found are extremely politically sensitive. ››› 

A questionable ad network called AdStyle is placing ads with fake headlines from celebrities like Gerhard Schröder or Boris Becker on far-right websites based in Germany and abroad. They all seem to profit, in some cases for years, from the fact that their readership can be ripped off one click further. ››› 

Boris and Arkady Rotenberg were two of the most prominent Russian oligarchs and friends of Vladimir Putin to be sanctioned after the Kremlin's 2014 annexation of Crimea. Never-before-seen insider documents now offer unprecedented insight into how the shielded their fortune - and who helped them to it. ››› 

The German rock band "Rammstein" is hit by a sex abuse scandal. There is said to have been a perverse groupie system around frontman Till Lindemann. Alleged victims and witnesses tell of dubious practices regarding "row zero", of nasty after-show parties - and of other crude practices. ››› 

In the past, they piloted Bundeswehr fighter jets, now several German ex-soldiers are apparently training military pilots in China - and collecting horrendous salaries for it. German security authorities are alarmed. Experts warn of a potential threat to Germany's national security.  ››› 

On June 5, 2022, British journalist Dom Phillips and this Brazilian guide, Bruno Pereira, were murdered in the heart of Brazil's Javari Valley. Together with the non-profit newsroom Forbidden Stories and more than a dozen media outlets paper trail media pursued their investigations.   ››› 

Christian Jürgens is a star, honoured by three Michelin stars, four Gault-Millau toques, two times Chef of the Year. After months of investigation, the picture that emerges is of a man who regularly oversteps the boundaries of his employees - and has done so for years: Jürgens allegedly bullied and harassed employees. ››› 

Thousands of pages of secret documents reveal how the Moscow-based defense contractor NTC Vulkan helped Russian intelligence agencies to strenghten their ability to launch cyberattacks, sow disinformation and surveil the internet. The investigation uncovered NTC Vulkan's links to "Sandworm" and "Cozy Bear". ››› 

A cross-border investigation exposes the flaws of the systems designed to combat forest destruction. The investigation shows how companies use the results of flawed audits to advertise products and operations as compliant with environmental standards, labor laws and human rights. ››› 

A secretive  firm offers to rig elections, spread lies and destroy livelihoods for money. Notorious mercenaries sell propaganda campaigns to despots. Undercover reporters document revelations on shaky videos, courageous female reporters continue to investigate despite being threatened and insulted. ››› 

In theory, honorary consuls are meant to foster ties between countries. But in practice criminals and others accused of exploiting the position have infiltrated their ranks. Among them:  terror financiers, murderers, arms traffickers and drug runners.  ››› 

A joint venture of the German company Wintershall Dea delivers gas condensate to Gazprom. The  Russian state-owned corporation in turn provides aviation fuel to military bases believed to be behind highly critized air strikes on civilians in Ukraine. ››› 

Over the course of several years, Putin's daughter Katerina Tikhonova made numerous trips to Bavaria together with an entourage of - likely armed -  bodyguards. Our reporting revealed: The German authorities knew nothing of the excursions.  ››› 

Leaked files and photos from Xinjiang internment camps contradict China's official statements regarding the discrimination of the Uyghurs. Published during the visit of UN Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, the revelations sparked an international debate. ››› 

A historic leak of Swiss banking records reveals that Credit Suise catered to criminals, dictators and political actors with outsized wealth. At the same time, Switzerland's draconian banking secrecy laws silence journalists, who way want to expose wrongdoing. ›››

After an anonymous whistleblower leaked more than 11,5 million financial records to them, Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermaier teamed up with more than 400 journalists to expose a system that enables crime, corruption and wrongdoing. ›››

A team of journalists uncovered a complex money-laundering operation and slush fund of the Azerbaijani regime, which directed payments to European politicians.  The investigation showed that Danske Bank turned a blind eye to transactions that should have raised red flags. ›››

After the brutal killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017, journalists from 15 countries worked together to complete and publish investigations by Daphne Caruana Galizia. In the end, the murder plot could be traced back to the highest ranks of Maltese politics. ›››

The revelation about a secretly filmed video showing the leader of Austria's far-right Freedom Party FPÖ promising government contracts to the alleged niece of Russian oligarch prompted snap elections and a parlamentarian inquiry commission in Austria. ››› 

After two U.N. investigators are murdered during a mission in the Congo, the government blames rebels in the killing. But leaked documents underscore suspicion that the intelligence service and the military may have been behind the crime. ››› 

A leak of more than 50.000 phone records shows how the surveillance technology of the Israeli company NSO Group has been systematically abused for years. Journalists, human rights defenders, lawyers, politicians and several heads of state have been selected as targets. ›››

Highly classified government documents reveal China's extrajudicial internment and compulsary indoctrination of Muslims. The investigation exposed China's mass surveillance system that is used to control routine behaviour and to isolate Xinjiang from the rest of the world. ›››