The police have arrested five Dutch citizens in a German operation against ATM bombings. The five are suspected of at least nine explosions at ATMs in western Germany.
The suspects are between 22 and 33 years old. Germany has requested their extradition, reports Tageschau. Two suspects are said to have prepared the ATM bombings. A third is suspected of arranging a getaway car.
The police searched buildings in Utrecht, Veenendaal, Maarssen, Vleuten, Reeuwijk, and Stavenisse. Weapons, narcotics, mobile phones, and possible explosives were seized. The detectives also found banknotes with traces of paint that are released in an explosion to render the loot unusable.
The Dutch police worked together with the German judiciary in Frankfurt and the police of the German state of Hessen. Six of the nine ATM bombings took place there, reports Hesschau.
The ATM bombings took place between December 2021 and October 2024. 400,000 euros were stolen, possibly even more. The damage caused by the explosions amounted to approximately 1.5 million euros.