Dutch police have conducted raids at 25 locations in the Netherlands as part of an ongoing effort to combat a series of ATM bombings in Germany.
This latest operation follows earlier actions taken in February against an organized crime group believed to be responsible for numerous cash machine explosions in Germany. In the Bavarian region alone, there were 31 blasts, resulting in a theft of about €3.4 million and damages estimated at around €4 million.
Authorities seized four kilos of explosives prepared for future attacks, along with nine explosive packages, a vehicle used in the crimes, multiple phones, cash, tasers, gloves, crowbars, sledgehammers, navigation equipment, a digital radio scanner, and valuable items such as luxury watches and handbags.
The criminals reportedly traveled from the Netherlands to German states, including Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, to blow open ATM machines. They used crowbars to gain entry and solid explosives to destroy the machines, escaping with the cash in vehicles afterward.
The group was well-organized, with defined roles that included preparing explosives, managing logistics, and executing the attacks. Each incident resulted in losses of up to €250,000.
In response to a rise in ATM explosive attacks within the Netherlands, authorities implemented measures to safeguard ATMs, including shutting down the network overnight and relocating machines to more secure sites, prompting the perpetrators to seek out more vulnerable targets across the border.