Company detectives surround German chaps (7)

I believe the answer is:

codgers

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'chaps' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?

'company detectives surround german' is the wordplay.
'company detectives' becomes 'cods' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'surround' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'german' becomes 'ger' (abbreviation).
'cods' enclosing 'ger' is 'CODGERS'.

Can you help me to learn more?

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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