Suspected vending machine burglars at large

Crime - Suspected vending machine burglars at large

Five men in the Netherlands, who were allegedly overpowered by special units, are once again free. A Dutch judge did not revoke the arrest warrants against the men, but instead put them under house arrest, confirmed a spokesperson for the Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor's Office. The "Rheinische Post" had previously reported this.

Arrest warrants could be reinstated

This will have a direct impact on further investigations, said prosecutor Julius Sterzel. "We have issued extradition requests for all five." If the justice system grants these requests, the arrest warrants could be reinstated.

The men were overpowered in a garage yard in Boskoop, Netherlands, by Dutch special units. In their highly motorized car, explosives, various license plates, and thick bundles of cash were discovered.

Million-dollar haul

The alleged gangsters are accused of 21 automated teller machine explosions. The quintet, aged between 30 and 39, are believed to have made millions in ill-gotten gains. One of the suspects had already been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for automated teller machine explosions in Cologne in 2016. During the arrest, the previously convicted gangster tried to escape from the garage yard, was stopped by a police dog, and was bitten.

European arrest warrants were issued against the suspects for causing explosions involving explosives and serious burglary. They face up to 15 years in prison.

1. The successful manhunt that led to the capture of the suspects in North Rhine-Westphalia was a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies in Düsseldorf and the Netherlands.
2. The public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf is actively working on reinstating the European arrest warrants issued against the five men, who currently remain under house arrest in the Netherlands.
3. Despite the setback, banks in North Rhine-Westphalia have been advised to remain vigilant, as the special unit responsible for apprehending the suspects believes that the criminal network may still have associates operating in the region.
4. The men, reportedly part of a criminal gang involved in a string of automated teller machine explosions in the Netherlands and Germany, were initially overpowered in a garage yard in Boskoop, Netherlands, and their car was found to contain explosives, license plates, and large amounts of cash.
5. The special unit in Düsseldorf is also investigating links between the men and organized crime syndicates in the Netherlands, with a focus on money laundering activities through the banking system in North Rhine-Westphalia.

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