Investigations against construction ash thieves: 250,000 euros in damage in Vienna

Investigations against construction ash thieves: 250,000 euros in damage in Vienna

In a spectacular investigation into break-ins, investigators caught a group of perpetrators who particularly targeted construction equipment companies. According to the police report, this group, consisting of four Romanian men, was held responsible for burglaries that took place in Vienna and the neighboring regions of Lower Austria between mid-April and early May. The total damage caused amounts to around 250,000 euros.

The break-ins took place in several companies, including Himberg in the Bruck an der Leitha district and Wiener Neudorf in Mödling. During a failed attempt in Brunn am Gebirge, the perpetrators only narrowly escaped. During their escape, they got into a traffic accident in which their van hit several iron bollards, which ultimately led to their arrest by the Cobra team on May 5th.

Arrest and major raid

The four arrested eventually confessed to their crimes. In the further investigation, a 46-year-old man was targeted, who is considered to be the head of the gang and acted as both the client and the buyer of the stolen machines. He was arrested in Romania and extradited to Austria on October 9th. But during his interrogation he did not want to provide any information and was then taken to the Korneuburg prison. Another case in which he was involved occurred in April in Vienna-Liesing, causing damage of 35,000 euros.

During house searches in Romania, over a thousand stolen items were seized, the total value of which is estimated at more than one million euros. The items included tools, construction machinery and additional equipment for excavators, and many of them could be attributed to the break-ins in Austria. The 46-year-old is still suspected of being connected to international criminal groups. He is said to have purchased stolen machines and tools over the years, which underlines the complexity of his activities.

The state police department emphasizes that the investigation has not yet been completed and that there are indications that the 46-year-old may have operated in other countries. These events make the comprehensive security situation with regard to construction machinery companies significantly more problematic, as such groups of perpetrators potentially operate across national borders.

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