Organized crime: Austria's banks in the fight against ATM thieves!

Organized crime: Austria's banks in the fight against ATM thieves!

In Austria, ATM advancements become a serious problem that is now actively combated by the authorities. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has launched a special commission called "SOKO ATM" to put the craft the craft, which mainly consist of organized groups. These groups, which also include the notorious “Mocro-Mafia”, have always applied more powerful methods in recent years and have also entered the urban space. The need for close cooperation with banks was emphasized in order to coordinate preventive measures against the increasingly tricky criminals. According to Noen.at , the decline in ATM boards in the Netherlands is an example that Austria would now like to follow.

The assessment of the current situation shows that these criminal organizations are very well networked at the international level. It is estimated that around 1,000 members are among these groups, which are divided into smaller units. These not only act in the border areas, but have also settled in urban areas, which makes preventive control difficult, as apa.at By using pyrotechnics and rapid escapes with powerful vehicles - some that have over 800 hp - the perpetrators have developed further. In addition, DNA traces are prevented by wearing overalls and the use of adhesive tapes. This demonstrates the professionalism of the groups that adapt again and again in order not to be caught.

The latest development shows that the crime of this type of 2018 reached its climax with 59 registered cases. Since then, the tactics have changed drastically. The criminals are increasingly able to escape their persecutors, which makes arrest difficult. The "SOKO ADDOMAT" is therefore urgently needed to bundle the captured data and results of the investigation across the national borders and to exchange ideas with international partners. The success lies in the fact that the law enforcement authorities work closely together - an approach that already led to a success in the Czech Republic in 2024, where a Dutch citizen was arrested in connection with ATM brims.