Vienna youth gangs looted pharmacies: police are alarm!

Vienna youth gangs looted pharmacies: police are alarm!

Wien, Österreich - The Viennese police have been faced with an alarming increase in pharmacies in pharmacies since March 16, 2025. A total of 21 such incidents were registered in the districts of Meidling, Hietzing, Ottakring and Liesing. In these burglaries, the perpetrators, mostly young people and underage, steal cash from the health insurers while medication are not stolen. The property damage often exceeds the values of the captured money, which poses a serious problem with the pharmacies. The Chamber of Pharmacists therefore calls for measures to increase employees, especially during night shifts, in which these incidents often occur. According to BMFSFJ the cooperation between child and youth welfare, police and judiciary is strengthened. This could also influence the current events in Vienna, since there are often fundamental problems behind such misconduct as social disadvantage or school problems.

The investigation on this matter is still in progress, and the police have already made constant contact with the relevant areas to discuss possible solutions. Prevention of youth crime remains a central topic, and developments in Vienna could further heat the discussions about effective measures.