Stralsund/Anklam (dpa/mv) - Investigators in Germany and Poland have put a stop to a suspected gang of car thieves. Five suspects are in custody after vehicle thefts in four federal states, as the police headquarters in Neubrandenburg announced on Friday. The Stralsund public prosecutor's office has now filed charges with the Stralsund Regional Court. The main suspect alone has been involved in eleven vehicle thefts since September 2021 with damage of more than 550,000 euros.
According to the information, the thefts occurred in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Lower Saxony and Hesse. The investigations were carried out centrally by the Anklam Criminal Police Inspectorate under the leadership of the Stralsund public prosecutor's office. In Western Pomerania alone, the gang is said to have stolen four high-quality cars worth a total of 330,000 euros in December and January. The men are said to be between 22 and 36 years old.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the main suspect was arrested near Dresden in January when he was on his way to Poland with a stolen vehicle from Hesse. A little later, the police managed to catch four other alleged members of the gang in Lower Saxony red-handed. All are in custody. The proceedings would be conducted by regional courts in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony. Authorities from the federal states concerned and Szczecin worked together on the investigation.
