In Upper Styria, two men allegedly sold fake driver’s licenses to at least 30 people and collected 37,000 euros. Now the criminals from Styria got on their trail – the counterfeit workshop was exposed.
For more than a year, agents of the Styrian criminal investigation department and agents of the Trofaiach and Erzherzog-Johann-Strasse Leoben police stations have been investigating a 41-year-old Romanian from Leoben. The starting point was a traffic check in January 2022, in which a man in Gmunden (Upper Austria) identified himself with a false driver’s license. Further investigation led to the 41-year-old in Leoben. Styrian police officers then took over the investigation.
Evidence found during house search
This reinforced the suspicion that the 41-year-old would pass on fake foreign driver’s licenses and use them himself. This led to a search of the 41-year-old’s home. There, police officers secured forged documents and other evidence.
As the investigation showed, the 41-year-old provoked “customers” in the Leoben and Bruck-Mürzzuschlag region. A 38-year-old Hungarian without a permanent address is said to have obtained the forged documents abroad. The sale earned the two men at least 37,000 euros.
30 buyers examined
So far, police officers have found 30 Romanian citizens and an Austrian as buyers. In many cases, attempts were even made to convert forged foreign driving licenses into original Austrian documents. All buyers are now set free by order of the public prosecutor’s office.
chief arrested
The 41-year-old was also able to prove several burglaries. The Romanian is suspected of breaking into a house with a workshop and two construction containers in Leoben last fall. A burglary in a garden center in Lower Austria could also be attributed to the 41-year-old. The financial damage of these crimes is about 11,000 euros.
The man was arrested in Leoben and confessed to the forgery of documents, he only partially confessed to the burglaries. The 38-year-old accomplice is wanted and on the run.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
