German prosecutors raid Volkswagen headquarters

German prosecutors have raided the headquarters of car maker Volkswagen and other sides on Thursday as part of an investigation into the company’s emissions scandal.

"Today, in connection with the so-called emissions scandal, raids were carried out at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg and other locations," prosecutors from the state of Lower Saxony said in a statement.

They said the raids aimed to secure documents and data carriers that could provide information about the exact conduct of company employees and their identities in the manipulation of exhaust emissions of diesel vehicles.

Volkswagen has been embroiled in one of the biggest corporate scandals in recent years since it emerged in September that the company has been fitting its vehicles with defeat devices to cheat emissions tests and make them appear cleaner than they are.