Successful hunt

Wild pursuit across the state border with a smuggler

The fugitive Syrian was arrested in Braunau(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

A Syrian had fled from Germany to Braunau in a car with seven compatriots. Local and Bavarian police officers pursued the car. In the town center, all eight occupants jumped out of the car. Thanks to the sniffer nose of a dog, the suspected trafficker, who was hiding in a garden, was also caught.

Scenes like in an action movie took place in Braunau on Saturday morning. At 10 a.m., the local police were informed by their German colleagues that they were following a smuggler who was heading towards the Braunau border crossing.

The Austrian police responded immediately, seven patrols from the Braunau district and the police helicopter from Salzburg rushed to help their colleagues from Bavaria. The suspected smuggler - a 34-year-old Syrian - was driving a BMW with Viennese license plates.

Because a bus had come towards the man in the center of Braunau, he had to stop the car around 50 meters before the city gate. The occupants jumped out of the car and tried to escape - but they didn't get far. Seven Syrians who had entered the country illegally were secured and taken to the police station.

Police service dogs were also used in the search. One of the animals had exactly the right nose: the driver of the vehicle had hidden from the police in a garden. The 34-year-old was found there and also arrested. The operation was over after just one and a half hours.