Munich prosecutors and police officers from the southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg on Tuesday searched a number of Audi offices in Ingolstadt, as well as the carmaker's production facility in Neckarsulm, the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily reported.

It said a total of 18 prosecutors and an unspecified number of police participated in the raids. Audi, one of Volkswagen's 12 brands, confirmed the searches, saying it was fully cooperating with the prosecutors.

The report said the raids were carried out because Audi was believed to have manipulated the emissions levels in more than 200,000 cars for both the European and US markets. Audi stands accused of switching off software that controls waste gas purification systems while the cars were on the road.

Large-scale manipulation

By contrast, the software was switched on when cars were tested in the lab.

The first raids on Audi took place in March 2017 when prosecutors looked into allegations that the company had rigged emissions levels in 80,000 cars for the US market. Its parent company, Volkswagen, had admitted that Audi had participated in cheating efforts.

Prior to Tuesday's raids, prosecutors had searched the homes of six current or former Audi engineers responsible for engine technology.

hg/aos (dpa, Reuters)