Next Blow Against ATM Bombers Successful

In total, the SOKO ATM has thus taken 19 suspected gang members out of circulation. "And further arrests are in the pipeline," said Andreas Holzer, Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BK), at a press conference on Monday.

Decisive Tip from Abroad

The success was mainly due to the good cooperation with the authorities in Germany and the Netherlands, from where the gang operated. The decisive tip came from the Netherlands, indicating that suspicious individuals had left the country heading towards Austria. Additionally, the investigators had by then identified the criminals' vehicle.

As Andreas Pilsl, Provincial Police Director for Upper Austria, reported, the investigators quickly picked up the trail of the gang members and began monitoring the criminals. It took a few days to end the "cat and mouse game": On August 19, the suspects were arrested after an ATM explosion in Hofkirchen im Traunkreis (Upper Austria) with the involvement of the Cobra task force.

The suspects, who mainly came from the Netherlands and Germany, have so far been linked to three such offenses. "Every ATM explosion poses a great danger to the public. That we were able to solve all the cases in Upper Austria is a great success for the country's security," said Pilsl. Franz Popp, Provincial Police Director of Lower Austria, emphasized the close cooperation as the basis for the successful arrests. "It is a prime example of how local expertise, national consolidation, and international cooperation interlock," said Popp.

According to Jens Burrichter from Europol, most of these gangs originate from the Netherlands. However, the security measures in the country have become so strong that they are increasingly traveling to Germany and Austria for their activities. BK Director Holzer estimated the circle of suspects and their helpers to be between 600 and 1,000 people. "Our goal is to sustainably dismantle these criminal groups and strengthen security both in Austria and in Europe," explained the director of the Federal Criminal Police Office.

Karner Sees "Giant Step Forward"

"The recent arrests have once again demonstrated the effectiveness of the SOKO ATM and the competence of the investigators, including those in the state criminal offices in Lower Austria and Upper Austria. The close international exchange with the security authorities in Germany and the Netherlands was significantly involved in the success of the investigation. We have not yet reached our goal, but a giant step forward has been made," responded Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).

Several ATM Explosions in This Country

In the current year, 28 ATM explosions have been recorded in Austria, of which 13 remained in the attempt stage. Since the establishment of the ATM task force in the Federal Criminal Police Office in March, 19 people have been arrested. In total, 42 people have been identified internationally, including 33 accused and nine suspects.

(APA/Red)

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