ATMs were targets

First “master blaster” arrested in the Czech Republic

Trail of devastation in Schrattenberg. Shots were also fired during the coup in Drosendorf two days earlier.

(Bild: zVg)

The Wild West scenes in the Waldviertel town of Drosendorf made headlines this week. Just two days later it happened again in Schrattenberg, which is also close to the Czech border: an ATM was also blown up there - this time the perpetrators were even able to flee with the loot. Now a Dutchman (32) has been caught in the Czech Republic.

Fortunately for the families living in Drosendorf above the Sparkasse bank, shots fired by a local resident drove away the ice-cold ATM gang before they detonated their explosives there too. Less than 60 meters and minutes earlier, they blew up the nearby Raiffeisenbank, where the explosion was clearly oversized for the ATM.

Similar Wild West scenes - but this time without gunfire - took place two days later in Schrattenberg in Weinviertel, as reported by the "Krone" newspaper. Again, at least four perpetrators stole 20,000 euros there; in Drosendorf they had gone away empty-handed.

Trail of devastation in Schrattenberg. Shots were also fired during the coup in Drosendorf two days earlier.

(Bild: zVg)

Gang member disguised as a "vacationer"
Now the handcuffs have clicked for a Dutchman disguised as a harmless vacationer at a campsite in the Czech Republic. Investigations by the robbery and crime scene group of the Lower Austrian Criminal Police Office led to the man's trail. The "master blaster" is a member of the new ATM mafia. The criminal organization consists of more than 500 mostly young men with migrant roots. The gang is based in the Dutch metropolis of Utrecht, from where they set off on their early morning raids across Europe.

Location sealed off for arrest
Following the European arrest warrant issued by the Austrians, the 32-year-old Dutchman was handcuffed on Thursday after several hours and the town of Krotějov near Strážov was cordoned off. According to a Czech media report, the man and three other suspects, who are still at large, are believed to have even carried out a test blast in a house on the outskirts of the town.

The Czech authorities are now awaiting an extradition request for the suspect. In Germany alone, the professional criminals are said to have blown up an ATM every day last year - a total of 367 (!).

No regard for human life
A case in the Lower Austrian community of Markgrafneusiedl, with a population of 900, shows that these well-organized criminals have no regard for human life. In October 2023, not only was the foyer of the local Raika destroyed with a huge bang, but the gate of the neighbor across the street was also shredded.