ATM explosion in Tyrol: investigations are underway after a nighttime robbery!

ATM explosion in Tyrol: investigations are underway after a nighttime robbery!

On the night of Wednesday, May 21, 2025, unknown perpetrators blew up an ATM in Reith im Alpbachtal, Kufstein district. The explosion occurred at 3:39 a.m. in a bank. The Tyrol State Police Directorate immediately initiated a search for the fleeing perpetrators, and further investigations are already underway. This incident is part of a worrying trend as the number of ATM explosions in Austria has increased significantly in recent years. As early as mid-April 2023, 17 attacks were counted, while only 13 incidents were recorded in total in 2022 oe24 reports.

Recent incidents in Wels at the end of April and Salzburg at the beginning of May have shown that the perpetrators often escape with cash. An alarming pattern is emerging: Federal criminal investigators have discovered that the perpetrators generally work in groups and very professionally. They are particularly active in Vienna and Lower Austria. These groups also appear to operate internationally, which makes investigations much more difficult and fuels crime Courier reports.

Increasing threat from organized crime

Investigators believe that at least five to six different groups are behind the ATM explosions in Austria. These groups differ in their methods, indicating a high variance in criminal activities. Recent information suggests that new groups of perpetrators, including professionally structured gangs from the Netherlands, may also be active. At least three of these perpetrators are active in Vienna, which further complicates the problem Vienna.at reports.

From the beginning of the year until now, explosions have been recorded at twelve different crime scenes, including Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Salzburg and Upper Austria. The problem has been particularly pronounced since the beginning of 2025, with 14 explosions by the beginning of March Courier added.

Responses and security measures

In response to this increasing crime, the Federal Criminal Police Office launched the “SOKO Bankomat” to coordinate investigations across countries. Security measures are now to be strengthened to make it more difficult to blow up ATMs. The planned new measures include innovative color systems that make banknotes unusable, as well as the use of artificial intelligence, which is intended to raise suspicion and sound the alarm as soon as irregularities are detected. These efforts aim to curb a Europe-wide phenomenon of ATM explosions Courier explains further.

The banks themselves have already responded by decommissioning some ATMs and making security-related changes to their foyers. For example, the BAWAG foyers are closed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. These measures are intended to help prevent the many ATM explosions and increase security for your customers as Vienna.at reports.