A suspected group of thieves is said to have committed a total of 24 crimes between January 22 and April 11, 2026 in Lower Austria, Upper Austria, and Styria. The investigations initially focused on two stolen excavators from the Tulln district.

According to the Lower Austria State Criminal Police Office, the perpetrators primarily stole construction machinery and large car trailers from construction sites and then brought the stolen goods to Hungary. There, it is said to have been sold.

During the investigations, two Hungarian citizens aged 27 and 30 were identified as suspects.

The list of alleged stolen goods is long. According to the police, the two suspects are attributed with the following thefts:

The crime scenes in Lower Austria were located in the districts of Tulln, Amstetten, Baden, St. Pölten-Land, Gänserndorf, Neunkirchen, and Bruck an der Leitha. Further crime scenes were located in Upper Austria and Styria.

The total damage is estimated by the police at around 328,000 euros.

Of this, around 320,000 euros are attributed to theft damage. The resulting property damage is estimated at just under 8,000 euros.

Investigators assume that the stolen goods were subsequently brought to Hungary and sold there.

The 30-year-old suspect was arrested on April 11, 2026, around 2:15 AM in Linz. According to the police, he was allegedly on his way back to Hungary from another excavator theft.

His 27-year-old alleged accomplice was not in the vehicle at that time.

A European arrest warrant was later issued for him by the St. Pölten public prosecutor’s office. On April 17, 2026, he was subsequently arrested by Hungarian police authorities in Hungary.

During house searches at the suspects‘ residences and further investigations with buyers in Hungary, several items were secured.

Among them were:

According to the police, the secured items were then returned to the respective victims.

During their interrogations, both suspects were partially confessed, according to the Lower Austria State Police Directorate.

By order of the St. Pölten public prosecutor’s office, both were subsequently taken to the local correctional facility.

(Red)

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