- Criminal groups allegedly managed to snatch property beyond sixty instances.
In Stuttgart, a group of individuals are accused of stealing cable reels from a business, in Sigmaringen, a gang of thieves made away with approximately 30 bicycles from a shop, and a suspected car thief is causing a stir across the country with over a dozen break-ins at car dealerships. Gang activity includes breaking into caravans, looting jewelry stores, and even vandalizing cemeteries. Suspects rarely speak up when they appear in court.
Starting this Friday (9:00 AM), the Regional Court of Heilbronn will be interested to see if a group of three Romanians accused of aggravated gang theft will open up. Over a 15-year period, these suspects, working in various combinations, allegedly made a living from their criminal activities. The public prosecutor's office attributes at least 64 incidents between February 2023 and February 2024 to them.
Goods such as bicycles and fishing equipment
Not all of these operations were successful, according to the indictment. However, items worth over 200,000 euros were stolen, including car parts, electric bicycles, tools, construction machinery, and even fishing equipment. The trio caused property damage exceeding 150,000 euros, among other things, by breaking into garages.
Since February and early March 2024, they have been in custody. Investigators state that crime scenes include Eppingen, Nordheim and Schwaigern, Bad Rappenau, the Rhineland-Palatinate Ludwigshafen, Sinsheim, Neckarwestheim, and Bruchsal.
What is aggravated gang theft?
Law enforcement refers to aggravated gang theft when the theft is committed by a group and certain aggravating circumstances exist. These include burglarizing a residence, using a weapon or other dangerous tools, or stealing high-value items. Aggravated gang theft is punishable by a prison sentence of one to ten years. A fine is not an option. In less serious cases, a prison sentence of six months to five years may also be imposed.
Last year, the number of offenses in the category of gang theft or theft under aggravating circumstances increased by approximately 11 percent, as per the Interior Ministry. The primary reason for this increase is the surge in shoplifting, which according to statistics, rose by over 24 percent compared to the previous year. For this current year, no significant change in the number of theft offenses is expected, the ministry stated in response to a query.
Theft on the rise
As per the police crime statistics, the number of theft cases overall - both minor and serious cases - increased once again last year. According to the police, a total of 177,121 theft offenses were reported - nearly 14 percent more than in 2022 and slightly more than 11 percent more than in the pre-pandemic year 2019.
In Strobl's opinion, theft mainly occurs where opportunities present themselves. "However, simple preventive or security measures can make it so hard for thieves to steal bicycles, e-bikes, motorcycles, and from/out of motor vehicles that criminals may not even try or fail at the attempt," the CDU minister suggests. Additionally, knowing the tactics of pickpockets can reduce the risk of being robbed while shopping or at events. Moreover, there are basic security standards for new construction and renovations.
The court in Heilbronn is set to investigate a Romanian group accused of aggravated gang theft, involving the theft of goods such as bicycles and fishing equipment. According to the prosecutor's office, this trio is also suspected of stealing high-value items, like car parts and electrical bicycles, and causing property damage through burglaries, which is considered aggravated gang theft and is punishable by a prison sentence.
