In Berlin, there are increases in acid break-ins
In Berlin and other German cities, burglars use a particularly cunning method: They destroy door locks with acid to quietly gain entry into apartments.
It is a cunning and dangerous method used by burglars, posing risks for unsuspecting tenants. With concentrated nitric acid, the perpetrators destroy door locks, which they can then quietly open. Such cases of professional burglaries have been known in Berlin for two years, and other cities have also been affected. According to police reports, the traveling burglar gangs are also active in European countries.
How many acid burglaries occurred recently?
The police counted a total of 318 such incidents in the capital from 2022 to early summer 2024, of which 151 were unsuccessful attempts. Few photos document the damage caused by the acid. The latest reported cases were in April, totaling 21. In comparison to the total of 8,300 burglaries in the year 2023, this is not much. However, acid can also cause injuries.
What makes nitric acid so dangerous?
Burglars apply nitric acid to the lock, making it physically dangerous. "The transported nitric acid is highly corrosive and can thus cause damage to the skin surface and mucous membranes," warns the police. "Do not touch the liquid, not even with gloves," reads a post on the platform X about a poisonously green glimmering liquid in front of a door.
"Pure, highly concentrated nitric acid" was responded to by the Senate and Police in 2023 in response to a CDU inquiry. Nitric acid reacts with most metals, such as iron and copper in cylinders. In doing so, poisonous gas like nitrogen dioxide with a stinging smell is produced. Organic materials like the wood of doors or flooring are also affected. "Nitric acid is subject to the Chemicals Regulation Ordinance and the Ordinance on the Supply of Certain Chemicals and is not freely marketable," explains the police.
Which apartments do the gangs target most?
The first acid burglaries in Berlin were detected in the third quarter of 2022. According to police investigations, the targets are "exclusively apartments in mostly multi-story buildings." Particularly affected are pre-fabricated houses from the GDR with ten to eleven floors in the neighborhoods Lichtenberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, and Friedrichshain. There, tenants are numerous, turnover is high, and there is "a certain anonymity that can be beneficial for such crimes."
How do the thieves proceed?
Between the door and the door frame, the burglars attach "spider web-like adhesive threads," which are "barely visible to the naked eye and only visible under torchlight," according to the police. A few days later, they check the threads to see if the door has been opened or if the occupants have been away for a longer time. Then, they spray the nitric acid into the metal cylinder, which partially destroys it. "As a result, the burglars can open the apartment doors without much effort and noise and enter the apartment," the police explain.
How can one recognize an acid break-in at the door?
Signs of a liquid and damage to the wood can be observed on the door from the outside, as photos of affected individuals on the internet show. A housing cooperative in Berlin-Friedrichshain warned in 2023: "If you notice unusual discolorations (mostly yellow, green or brown) or a pungent smell in the lock area of house, cellar or apartment doors, avoid any skin contact and keep a distance to prevent inhaling possible fumes."
In which regions do these break-ins occur?
Acid break-ins are not limited to Berlin. The police stated: "In Germany, cases have been identified in Hamburg and Dresden." This phenomenon is also known in Belgium, France, and Austria. After the first arrests by the Berlin police, the focus of acid break-ins shifted again to Vienna and Paris, and individual cases were also reported in Portugal.
The investigators of the break-ins in the Criminal Investigation Office (LKA) have already identified several suspects, some of whom have been arrested on international arrest warrants and are in custody for investigation. More suspects are being sought. The police refused to reveal the exact number of suspects and their nationalities.
Can one protect oneself against these break-ins?
There are no special protective measures against acid. The police advise, if necessary, to install a second lock with a different design. A user on the internet refers to water and bases like sodium hydroxide to neutralize strongly corrosive hydrochloric acid. Knowledge of chemistry therefore does not harm.
The international police force is collaborating to combat the rising trend of acid burglaries, as these criminal activities have been reported in various European cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Dresden. Some experts believe that the gangs responsible for these break-ins might be targeting multi-story buildings in areas like Lichtenberg, Marzahn-Hellersdorf, and Friedrichshain due to their high tenant turnover.
