Two apartments again

Police on the hunt for the acid burglars

Crime scene number 4 this year - apartments in Landstraßer Keinergasse.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/LPD Wien Gerhard Bartel)

Within a few days, a gang of burglars etched the locks of at least five apartments in Vienna's third district and stole money, gold and jewelry. While memories of an unprecedented series of crimes from 2022 and 2023 come to mind, the police are hot on the perpetrators' heels.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Vienna police and professional fire department received an alarm in Keinergasse in Landstraße that is no longer so unusual. Burglars had "dripped" corrosive and toxic nitric acid into the door locks of several apartments to dissolve them. Two apartments had been broken into with it. The emergency services are now familiar with the procedure - and are exercising caution due to the dangerous acid.  

There were already dozens of break-ins in 2022/2023 - here in Krieglergasse. Now the acid gang has struck again.

(Bild: Stefan Steinkogler, MANFRED SCHAEFER, stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

Vienna, Stockholm - and Vienna again
The as-yet-unknown gang struck in August in Schüttelstraße in Leopoldstadt, which borders the third district, and made a killing in two apartments in a house. In the third district, two apartments in Oberzellergasse were hit. After that, things calmed down (for the time being), while an increasing number of break-ins involving nitric acid were reported in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Crime scene Schüttelstraße: Burglars struck in this house in August.

(Bild: Bartel Gerhard/Gerhard Bartel)

Two crime scenes within a few days
Now it's started again in Vienna: last Sunday, the police raised the alarm in Wassergasse - according to "Krone" information, three apartments there were "dripped" with the dangerous acid. Two tenants or owners of apartments in Keinergasse are currently having to deal with cleaning up after break-ins. This is a familiar pattern for the Vienna police. 

If your lock looks like this, please call the police immediately!

(Bild: Bundeskriminalamt, Krone KREATIV)

Unprecedented series in the years 2022 and 2023
In 2022 and 2023, a group of Georgians etched out at least 55 apartments throughout Vienna, along with hundreds more in half of Europe. Most of the perpetrators were caught back then. The perpetrators are also believed to have taken up residence in rented apartments. The police and the Federal Criminal Police Office are investigating at full speed - the noose is tightening for the burglars. 

Liquid at the door - call the police!
If you also notice liquid on your front door near the lock, please contact the police immediately. If you have already come into contact with the liquid, do not touch your eyes and wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap. Nitric acid and its vapors can cause severe external and internal burns.