Lüneburg District - Arrest warrants for three suspected ATM bombers
After the attempted bombing of an ATM in Embsen in the Landkreis Lüneburg, the Amtsgericht Osnabrück issued arrest warrants against the three suspected perpetrators. The men are between 20 and 22 years old and are in preventive detention, confirmed a spokesperson for the Schwerpunkt-Staatsanwaltschaft Osnabrück. In this case, they were caught in the act, but the explosives did not go off.
The police discovered the men with the help of a drone early on a Wednesday morning in a cornfield near the damaged vehicle. In the car, investigators found several suspected explosive devices, which were safely detonated. "We are dealing with a professional criminal group," said the police spokesperson. A passerby had observed the men near the ATM in the night and alerted the police.
An auto with a running engine was parked in front of the bank branch. Before the police arrived, the men fled at high speed. Then the car had an accident, and the men were slightly injured.
The Schwerpunkt-Staatsanwaltschaft Osnabrück is also investigating due to the proximity to the Netherlands.
At the Schwerpunkt-Staatsanwaltschaft Osnabrück, the Central Office for ATM Bombings in Lower Saxony is located, also due to the proximity to the Netherlands. "Usually, it are younger men in this area who are Dutch citizens," said the spokesperson.
In the background, there are organized structures that often provide highly motorized cars and explosives. "This often leads to accidents where drivers lose control," he explained. In cooperation with colleagues in the Netherlands, they are trying not only to arrest the perpetrators in Germany but also to combat the structures of organized crime.
The arrest warrants for the suspected ATM bombers were issued by the Amtsgericht Osnabrück, located in the city of Osnabrück. The suspects, aged between 20 and 22, are currently in preventive detainment, as confirmed by the Public Prosecutor's Office Osnabrück.
During the investigation, the police in Lower Saxony utilized an automatic drone to locate the men in a cornfield near the damaged ATM. The men were found with several suspected explosive devices in their car, which were safely detonated by investigators.
The mysterious auto that had been parked near the bank branch was found to have an automatic engine. The men had fled the scene in this vehicle, only to have an accident shortly after, resulting in minor injuries.
The case is of particular interest to the Schwerpunkt-Staatsanwaltschaft Osnabrück due to the proximity of Embsen to the Netherlands. This has led to the establishment of a Central Office for ATM Bombings in Osnabrück, a hub for investigating such incidents in lower Saxony.
The spokesperson for the Schwerpunkt-Staatsanwaltschaft Osnabrück highlighted that the perpetrators in this case seemed to be part of a well-organized criminal network that frequently provides highly motorized cars and explosives to younger men, often Dutch citizens.
In their efforts to combat criminality, the authorities in Osnabrück are collaborating with their counterparts in the Netherlands to not only apprehend the suspects in Germany but also dismantle the organized crime structures that facilitate such activities.
The attempted bombing of the ATM in Embsen serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against criminality and the need for strong international cooperation in upholding law and order.
