In the early hours of Thursday, an ATM in a post office on Wagramer Straße in Vienna-Donaustadt was blown up. The entrance area of the post office, which is located in a ground-level extension of a multi-party building, was completely destroyed. As police spokeswoman Anna Gutt confirmed to the APA, the search for the perpetrators is in full swing.

Post Office in Vienna-Donaustadt Targeted by ATM Bombers

The alarm was triggered at 4:15 a.m. A large contingent of police immediately responded, and a police helicopter was also deployed for the search. Forensic investigations were still ongoing on Thursday morning. Whether the perpetrators were able to steal cash is currently unknown.

ATM Explosions Increasing in Austria

The incident is part of a series of similar acts that have increased in Austria in recent weeks and months:

February 12: Three men attempted to blow up an ATM at Wienerberg in Favoriten. However, the explosive charge did not detonate, and the perpetrators fled on a white motorcycle.

February 8: An ATM on Guglgasse in Vienna-Simmering was successfully blown up. Investigators suspect a Dutch group of perpetrators behind the act.

January 21: In Vienna-Liesing, an ATM was destroyed in a shopping center at Kaufpark Alt-Erlaa. Five perpetrators fled on scooters.

January 4: The first case of the year occurred on Exenbergerweg in Simmering, where four perpetrators fled on two motorcycles.

Previously, there had been repeated ATM explosions in Vienna and generally in Eastern Austria at least since last autumn, and the series has recently gained momentum here as well: Just early Tuesday morning, ATM bombers caused significant property damage at Korneuburg station in the Vienna suburbs. Last Saturday, three unknown individuals blew up a cash machine in the foyer of a post office in the Salzburg district of Aigen and fled on a scooter. In Neusiedl am See, there was a related crime on the night of February 7, and also around 3:30 a.m., two days earlier, on the night of Wednesday, another in the foyer of a bank branch in Gänserndorf, where presumably four perpetrators destroyed two cash machines.

Perpetrators Often on Motorcycles: Investigations Ongoing

The patterns of the recent ATM explosions show similarities: Multiple perpetrators, often on motorcycles or scooters, usually operate in the early morning hours. In some cases, Dutch gangs have been named as suspects, but official confirmations are still pending.

The Vienna police continue their search with high pressure. Information about the current crime or the suspects can be reported at any police station or by calling the emergency number 133.

(APA/Red)

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