Ten people, including two lawyers, were arrested in Germany amid a large-scale police operation targeting a people-smuggling ring suspected of fraudulently obtaining residency for some 350 mostly Chinese nationals.

More than 1,000 officers from the German federal police and other law enforcement agencies searched a total of 101 residential and business premises during the operation, which spanned eight of Germany's 16 states.

The operation was overseen by the federal criminal police department in the western city of Cologne.

The people-smuggling gang is accused of exploiting special rules for foreign skilled workers to obtain residence permits. 

Clients of the gang are said to have paid five- and six-figure euro sums to obtain the permits.

The 10 suspects were taken into custody with assets seized and evidence collected during the operation.