Netherlands hands over 5 Dutch suspects tied to 23 ATM bombings in German

Five Dutch nationals suspected of committing at least 23 ATM bombings in Germany were handed over to the German authorities on Thursday. This took place under strict security precautions. To prevent escape attempts, the convoy was monitored by a police helicopter.

The perpetrators are now in custody in Germany. They were brought before a magistrate in Osnabrück on Thursday and will remain in custody for the time being. The German public prosecutor's office expects to bring formal charges against them in the first half of this year. The suspects are between 20 and 29 years old.

The five suspects were arrested on November 15 last year in a major police operation in Germany and the Netherlands. A total of eight people were arrested at that time. They come from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Amstelveen and Heerhugowaard.
The first ATM bombing of which the group is suspected took place in Osnabrück in August 2021. The most recent explosive incident happened in January last year at an ATM in Duisburg. They are said to have stolen over 2 million euros. The explosions caused damage of at least 3.5 million euros.

During the police operation in November, 26 homes and businesses were searched, 22 of which were in the province of Noord-Holland. In Amstelveen, several homes were evacuated after explosives were found in an apartment. During the searches, cash amounting to around 250,000 euros was found, some of which were marked with traces of paint. Some ATMs are covered in paint, rendering the captured cash worthless and unusable. Jewelry and luxury watches were also found. In Germany, investigators searched four car rental companies. These are not suspected of being involved in the ATM bombings but were allegedly used to hire getaway cars.

Germany has been struggling with these attacks by the Dutch for years. They use explosives to open ATMs.They then flee in fast cars such as Audis. To avoid falling into the hands of the police, they race at high speed on public roads.