In Horitschon

Lawnmower tractors stolen for €30,000

Garden tools were the target of a gang that raided the warehouse in Horitschon.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

A brazen gang of thieves targeted a warehouse in the middle of the night. The unknown professional thieves proceeded according to plan and made a rich haul. The manhunt for them has been in full swing ever since.

Lawnmower tractors are in high demand on the black market during the gardening season. For years, professional gangs of burglars have been raiding warehouses in the southern districts of Burgenland during the summer months to steal the expensive gardening machines. The coups are almost always planned well in advance.

Chain pinched
This is probably also true of the current case in Horitschon in the Oberpullendorf district. In a night-and-fog operation, unknown perpetrators gained access to the premises of the local warehouse. The chain used to secure the sliding gate was cut open with a bolt cutter without any major difficulties.

The criminals gained access to the site after forcing open the chain of the sliding gate during the night.(Bild: Schulter Christian)

Customers' machines also disappeared
The initially unknown perpetrators proceeded in a targeted manner. One after the other, hand lawnmowers, lawnmower tractors and the mowing unit for a large tractor were made available for removal. The gang presumably drove up in a small truck so that they could remove all the stolen goods in a single load. The loot also included lawnmower tractors and gardening equipment that customers had brought to the warehouse in Horitschon for servicing or repair.

Manhunt underway
The theft was discovered early last Monday morning. Since then, the police investigation has been in full swing. A manhunt for the unknown perpetrators is in full swing, but so far there is no trace of them. The damage is estimated at more than 30,000 euros.