32,000 euros withdrawn

Theft with enormous damage: Quartet in custody

The criminals stole tens of thousands of euros from their victim's account using an ATM card.

(Bild: Huber Patrick (Symbolbild))

In late summer, a 67-year-old man was robbed in a pub in Graz - with serious consequences. In the following days, the stolen ATM card was used to make withdrawals and transfers totaling more than 32,000 euros. Four suspects have now been identified.

The theft took place at the end of August in the city center of Graz. The victim was a 67-year-old man from the Graz area who had his cell phone and ATM card stolen. It was only a few days later that he noticed the enormous movements on his account and contacted the police.

Bank camera initially led to suspicious couple from Hungary
Officers from the Seiersberg police station then began an investigation and analyzed images from a bank's surveillance camera, among other things. Two initially unknown suspects could be seen on it. The investigators were able to identify one of them as a 43-year-old Hungarian who lives in Graz together with his partner (26), who is also suspected of the crime. Initially, however, the duo disappeared from sight.

In the course of the investigations, the officers found another couple (36 and 37 years old) from Romania who were registered in Graz. The quartet is said to have proceeded as follows: The two women allegedly stole the ATM card in the pub and immediately made withdrawals. According to the police, the two then passed the card on to their partners. They then transferred a considerable sum to the 26-year-old's account.

The quartet is being held in Jakomini prison.

(Bild: Juergen Radspieler)

Suspects known to the authorities come up with an adventurous explanation
As was announced on Friday, all four suspects were arrested on Wednesday by order of the public prosecutor's office. The quartet offered no resistance and are now being held in Graz-Jakomini prison. Most of those arrested were already known to the police in connection with other property offenses. House searches also uncovered two newly packaged, high-priced cell phones, which are still under investigation.

All four deny the theft in the pub. Their version: The 67-year-old gave the women his cell phone and ATM card including PIN. According to police spokesman Markus Lamb, the victim vehemently denies this: although he did indeed talk to two unknown people in the pub, there can be no question of a gift. He assumes that the duo had observed him paying and had scouted out his PIN.