Murder in the delivery service: Investigators on the trail of a dangerous plan!

Murder in the delivery service: Investigators on the trail of a dangerous plan!

Today, on November 2nd, 2025, the new “Tatort: ​​Erika Mustermann” was broadcast on Erste, which, with an accompanying suspense, highlights the precarious situation of refugees in Germany. The film begins with the tragic death of delivery service cyclist Tomás Rey, who is run over by a car on a side street in Berlin. This traffic accident is quickly classified as a murder, which brings investigators Susanne Bonard (Corinna Harfouch) and Robert Karow (Mark Waschke) onto the scene. They take on the case and begin to investigate the victim's environment, which initiates the twist in the story.

Tomás Rey, a young man from Venezuela, lived illegally in a shared apartment in Berlin with his brother Luís (Henry Morales) and a friend, where they all acted under false names. This sheds light on the difficulties that many migrants face in Germany, particularly with regard to their legal situation. In recent years, Germany has become one of the main receiving countries for refugees, but the reality behind asylum applications is often characterized by uncertainty and precarity, as bpb.de explains.

A tricky case

While investigating the murder, it quickly becomes apparent that the victim's backpack is missing from the crime scene, which leads the detectives to suspect that there is more to this case than a simple accident. It turns out that the dead man is not who he says he is. There are also two other men with the same name who have also made a name for themselves in Berlin. All three come from Venezuela and do not have valid residence documents, which makes the investigation all the more complicated. This narrative reflects the challenges that many migrants have faced in Germany for years, particularly due to an often restrictive asylum policy and inadequate support for refugees.

As the investigation progresses, Bonard and Karow uncover a larger plan that extends to Caracas. The victim's relationship with Annika Haupt (Annett Sawallisch), a security employee at the Bundesdruckerei, is also targeted. The Bundesdruckerei has taken security precautions that make theft unlikely, which further leads the commissioners to question whether there are links between this murder and criminal activity.

Political and social discussions

The “crime scene” is not only perceived as exciting entertainment, but also stimulates thought about social reality in Germany. The precarious situation of delivery cyclists, who often work in dangerous conditions, is a central issue. The country's policies regarding the admission and integration of refugees have become more stringent in recent years, which repeatedly leads to social tensions. The n-tv emphasizes that the full scope of these discussions is dealt with in the narrative of the new “crime scene”, which makes the film a successful political thriller.

Directed by Torsten C. Fischer and with a script that included Dagmar Gabler, Josefine Scheffler and Thomas André Szabó, the story was realized over a period of four weeks in various Berlin districts, including Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg. The film was produced by Schiwago Film GmbH and can be seen in the program of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb), accompanied by a team that is complemented by talented actors and crew members.

Looking at such topics in the context of a popular format like “Tatort” shows how closely entertainment and social reality can be intertwined. In this way, the murder of Tomás Rey becomes a symbol of the challenges that many migrants experience in Germany - a representation that could potentially stimulate a broader discussion about refugee policy and the current migrant situation.