Forchheim (dpa / lby) - Unknowns blew up an ATM in Forchheim in Upper Franconia. According to the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA), this is the 16th case of this type in Bavaria this year. Accordingly, the perpetrators had blown up the machine installed in a bank branch with explosives on Thursday night and then fled in their car in the direction of Autobahn 73. The crime scene is only a few hundred meters away from the freeway entrance.
The perpetrators were probably able to steal money, as a BLKA spokesman said. However, the amount is still unknown. Throughout 2021, criminals blew up 17 ATMs in Bavaria. An increase can be seen this year, the spokesman said. It is assumed that two thirds of the crimes were committed by Dutch criminal groups. According to the investigators' evaluations, they often head for vending machines and branches that are conveniently located on motorways or expressways.
The BLKA therefore recommends preventive measures to the banks to deter perpetrators. According to the experts, banks in the Netherlands and France, for example, have been able to significantly reduce the number of blown-up machines with the help of systems that make the money in the machine useless with colored or adhesive cartridges in the event of an explosion. In the Netherlands, banks also close some of their self-service branches at night or dismantle particularly vulnerable ATMs.
