German officials say an investigation into a string of sexual assaults and robberies in Cologne on New Year's Eve has confirmed that most suspects so far are foreigners.

North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Ralf Jaeger told state parliament in a report on April 5 that of 153 current suspects, 149 are foreigners, the dpa news agency reported.

Of them, 103 were from Morocco or Algeria. They include 68 asylum-seekers and 18 people illegally in Germany.

Through the end of March, police received 1,527 criminal complaints, with more than 500 victims alleging sexual crimes.

Three people have already been convicted of thefts, and a 26-year-old Algerian was charged last month with groping a woman.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa