International gang

Luxury cars stolen and entered Burgenland

The Georgian was caught in Spain and is in custody in Eisenstadt.(Bild: HS, Krone KREATIV)

For years, investigators were hot on the trail of an international gang that moved hundreds of luxury cars across Europe. On Thursday, a Georgian man had to answer for his actions at Eisenstadt Regional Court.

The Georgian, who had lived in the Ukraine for 26 years, owned houses there and earned 20,000 dollars a month as a self-employed person, moved to Spain two days after the outbreak of war. He studied economics and said at the trial in Eisenstadt: "I don't need anything like this. I am innocent."

Struck in Germany and the Czech Republic
As a member of a criminal organization, the 43-year-old and accomplices allegedly moved hundreds of stolen, embezzled or lured luxury cars equipped with false number plates across Europe. Most of the incidents took place in Germany and the Czech Republic. He demonstrably crossed the border into Austria in Nickelsdorf with four of these cars with a total value of 440,000 euros, whereupon the public prosecutor's office in Eisenstadt issued an international warrant for his arrest. The man was finally caught in Spain and transferred to Burgenland.

One of many attempts at justification was taken note of by the panel of lay judges: "A Russian asked me to transfer his car from Ukraine to Georgia. He didn't get there. So I drove it around myself until he got in touch. That was never the case."

The trial was adjourned until December 5. Maybe the Russian will pick up his cell phone by then.