Several Arrests After Series of ATM Explosions

The suspects are mostly Dutch with Maghreb backgrounds. A total of 33 people have been identified. "This clarifies the majority of the crimes," said Andreas Holzer, Director of the Federal Criminal Police Office.

"This was just the beginning"

Holzer announced in the same breath: "This was just the beginning." Further structural investigations would continue. The most recent arrest took place just two days ago in Vienna. "In the process, the suspect jumped from the second floor of an apartment," said Holzer. He also spoke of "numerous seizures" and mentioned, among other things, the confiscation of over 50 mobile phones, 30 data carriers, 16 scooters, 400 to 500 grams of explosives, drugs, clothing with suspected links to the crime, as well as around 40,000 euros in cash during twelve raids (six of which took place in the Netherlands).

Since the beginning of the year, 26 burglaries by blowing up ATMs have been recorded. In twelve cases, it remained an attempt, but the property damage and the potential danger to bystanders are enormous, according to investigators. Overall, the affected banks have so far suffered damage in the low double-digit million range, and the amount of money stolen is also in the millions.

"Extremely professional"

"The perpetrators act extremely professionally. There are clear hierarchical structures," said Holzer, referring to a division into bombers and logisticians. The executing individuals always acted masked and in overalls taped at the hands and legs, "to prevent leaving DNA traces."

The procedure almost always follows the same pattern. "The ATMs are broken into, explosive charges are placed," explained Holzer. According to the head of the investigation service in the State Criminal Police Office, Gerhard Winkler, these are mostly "self-made devices," often using flash powder. "The charge is then detonated via cable ignition, and the cash is taken," added Holzer. The escape with vehicles takes place within a few minutes, and often these are then set on fire.

Overall, the police in Austria currently record five independently operating perpetrator groups, "however, there are indeed overlaps and cooperations," said Holzer. It is estimated that the groups "comprise hundreds of people in total."

Difference crystallized

In the federal capital, the first explosion occurred on September 28, 2024. A difference quickly emerged compared to the approach of those groups in the federal states. "In Vienna, the perpetrators always drove to the immediate crime scene on scooters," said Winkler, while in the rest of Austria, high-powered vehicles were primarily used as escape means. "Commissioner Coincidence," as Winkler said, played into the hands of the criminal investigators as the investigation progressed.

A day after an explosion in Vienna-Liesing on January 21, a 37-year-old suspect and a 35-year-old were stopped in a car during a routine check on the highway in Frankfurt, Germany. The 37-year-old, who was wanted under a European arrest warrant, was arrested, while the 35-year-old had to be released due to a lack of sufficient suspicion at the time. "The special thing about this case was that the two were traveling in a car registered to an Austrian woman," Winkler recalled. It later turned out that the vehicle had been lent to the two men by the Austrian woman. "She naturally became the focus of the investigation from that point on." As the investigators were able to prove to the woman, she had provided the perpetrators with corresponding assistance for money. The Austrian woman has since been legally convicted.

Not Just a Breakthrough

The second breakthrough occurred following an explosion on April 6, 2025, in Vienna's Vorgartenstraße. Shortly thereafter, there was a confrontation with the police, who also had to use firearms. A 34-year-old Dutchman was arrested.

Numerous DNA traces have already been extracted from the seizures, said Nina Bussek, spokeswoman for the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office, on Thursday. Investigations by the public prosecutor's office have been ongoing in the federal capital since October 2024 against 15 identified suspects due to 14 explosions - also in cooperation with the General Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt. In total, there have been around 40 phone surveillances in the course of the proceedings against the ATM bombers.

Five Suspects in Pre-Trial Detention in Josefstadt Prison

According to the public prosecutor's office, five suspects are already in pre-trial detention in Josefstadt Prison. Two suspects have been arrested in the Netherlands based on European arrest warrants. "One of them will also be handed over this evening," said spokeswoman Bussek. This also involves a suspect in the explosion on April 6 in Vienna. The public prosecutor's office will apply for pre-trial detention against him after extradition.

AG ATM Established

Due to the wave of crimes, the Federal Criminal Police Office established the ATM Task Force (AG Bankomat) in March. A special security summit with banks also took place in April because of this.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.