Observant Witness Leads to Arrest of Three Burglars

Observant Witness Leads to Arrest of Three Burglars

APA/THEMENBILD/EVA MANHART

 

Three individuals have been arrested after committing 22 burglaries across Vienna and Lower Austria, causing a total of €200,000 in damages, police have announced.

The trio – Romanian nationals aged 29, 31 and 41 – targeted detached houses and were identified thanks to an observant witness, police spokesperson Markus Dittrich said on Sunday.

On March 30 this year, a passer-by observed a man disposing of a cut-open safe in a body of water in Vienna and noted down his car registration number.

As it was suspected that the safe was linked to a burglary, investigations were launched. “Nothing was rushed,” Dittrich said. Through extensive and meticulous measures, police investigators identified the suspects, whose preferred method of entry was through breaking or forcing open windows.

The group primarily stole safes, jewellery and cash. Through surveillance and mobile phone data analysis, the trio was linked to a total of three burglaries in Vienna’s 21st (Floridsdorf) and 23rd (Liesing) districts, as well as 19 in the Lower Austrian districts of Baden, Mödling and Bruck an der Leitha, Dittrich explained.

Investigators believe there may be additional unreported crimes.

Two of the men were arrested at the end of May during a burglary in Gainfarn, in the municipality of Bad Vöslau (Baden district), by officers from the Directorate of Special Units (DSN)/Cobra Task Force.

The third was apprehended in Romania and extradited to Austria. One of the suspects has largely confessed, while the other two have refused to make a statement. All three are now in custody awaiting trial.

Police recently disclosed details of a similar case involving a different trio of burglars. Read more: Trio Arrested for 100 Burglaries 

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