Losses in the millions

Professional crooks only stole Benz, BMW and Land Rover

The burglary investigators of the Upper Austrian Criminal Police Office have struck a blow against car thieves(Bild: Uta Rojsek-Wiedergut)

Within the space of a few weeks in October and November 2023, a group of Polish criminals stole seven high-priced new Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Land Rover vehicles from a large vehicle logistics company in the district of Perg in Upper Austria. A Turkish employee of the company helped them. The trio is in custody.

On October 27, 2023, unknown perpetrators stole two high-priced new Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover vehicles from the premises of a large vehicle logistics company. In the course of further investigations, it emerged that three other Mercedes-Benz vehicles (G-Class) had already been stolen, initially unnoticed, from October 11, 2023. Investigations by the Upper Austrian State Criminal Police Office (LKA), Burglary Department, revealed that the perpetrators were assisted in the crime by a 40-year-old Turkish employee of the victim company.

Accomplice opened the access gates
In his role, the employee had access to the car parking areas and opened the access gates for his accomplices. Only then were the perpetrators able to take the vehicles from the company premises. At the end of November 2023, the accomplice wanted to flee to Turkey with his wife. However, his escape was prevented just in time and the suspect was arrested by officers of the Upper Austrian Criminal Police Office by order of the Linz public prosecutor's office.

The Poles continued to steal
Just one week later, on November 29, 2023, two of his accomplices, both Polish nationals and 26 years old at the time of the crime, stole two more luxury Mercedes-Benz and BMW vehicles from the premises of the vehicle logistics company. This time without the assistance of a company employee. However, the perpetrators were observed not far from the scene of the crime by a passing traffic patrol from the Perg police station as they were about to mount fake license plates on the two stolen vehicles, as it later turned out. When the two offenders noticed the police patrol, they immediately fled on foot into an adjacent wooded area. The perpetrators left the two stolen vehicles at the scene with the vehicle doors open and the engines running.

Two cars were returned
In the end, the officers succeeded in arresting the two fugitives in the course of a large-scale manhunt, in which a police helicopter from the Federal Ministry of the Interior was also deployed. By order of the Linz public prosecutor's office, the perpetrators were also taken to the Linz regional court prison. The two stolen vehicles with a total sales price of more than 300,000 euros were returned undamaged to the company concerned.

Trio awaits trial behind bars
The Turkish man and former employee of the victimized company as well as the two Poles are currently in custody in Linz prison awaiting trial. For the most part, they confessed during the interrogations. Intensive investigations are continuing into other direct accomplices and those behind the crime. The whereabouts of the remaining five stolen vehicles have not yet been established. Investigations into this are also still ongoing.