Betrayed by an insider

Stolen place name signs and road signs hoarded at home

Several place name signs were stolen in southern Burgenland - investigations are ongoing.(Bild: Christian Schulter)

The theft of place name signs and road signs often causes trouble in Burgenland communities. Now the police have followed up an anonymous tip-off and tracked down an illegal stockpile of these unusual "trophies".

Traffic signs and other signs seem to be highly sought-after "collector's items" in certain circles. Time and again, the tin trophies disappear overnight. The trail of thefts in recent years leads from Nickelsdorf via Forchtenstein and the district of Oberpullendorf to the south of the country.

Depot with reserve signs
The town of Oberwart had already set up a depot with reserve plates in 2014 after a series of brazen thefts. Each one cost 300 euros. The aim was to be able to react quickly in an emergency and prevent the traffic rules from being suspended.

Because as soon as the sign at the municipal boundary was missing, the speed limit of the usual 50 km/h in the local area no longer applied automatically - a carte blanche for speeders.

Six signs discovered
Thefts have increased again recently. Thanks to an anonymous informant, a whole series of thefts has now been solved. His strictly confidential tip-off led the police to an illegal depot. Investigators discovered six pieces of loot at the address given by the insider.

Investigation underway
In the house in the district of Güssing, the officers seized four place name signs from Litzelsdorf, Unterwart and Rotenturm as well as two traffic signs. Whether other perpetrators are involved in the case is still being investigated.