Dutch police have raided 25 locations in the Netherlands in an ongoing crackdown again a spate of of ATM bombings in Germany.
The latest raid follows action take in February against an organised crime group suspected of having blown up numerous cash machines in Germany. In Bavaria alone, it concerned 31 explosions with a total haul of about €3.4 million, causing damage estimated at approximately €4 million.
The seizures included four kilos of explosives, which had already been prepared for further attacks in nine explosive packages, one rapid vehicle, which was used to commit the crimes, several phones, cash, tasers, gloves, crowbars, sledgehammers, navigation equipment, a digital radio scanner and valuables such as expensive watches and handbags.
The perpetrators allegedly travelled from the Netherlands to the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg to blast open teller machines. They used crowbars to open the doors and solid explosives to destroy the machines. After stealing the cash inside, they escaped in cars.
The gang was highly organised, with a clear division of roles ranging from preparing explosives to dealing with logistics, driving or blowing up the ATMs at the locations. Losses amounted to up to €250 000 per attack.
The perpetrators have been forced to move across the border in search of more vulnerable locations after Dutch authorities responded to a wave of ATM explosive attacks in the Netherlands by shutting down the ATM network overnight and shifting machines to more secure locations.