A group of young people who allegedly committed three arsons in a mobile phone shop have been arrested by the police. And: It is larger than previously known.
The loose gang of young people who allegedly committed three arsons in a mobile phone store in September is larger than previously known. Police suspect eight young men between the ages of 14 and 18 of being involved in the crime to extort protection money from the owner. What was particularly striking was the very young age and the simultaneous very high criminal energy, as the head of the Vienna State Criminal Investigation Department, Gerhard Winkler, said on Tuesday.
What was also remarkable for the police was the quick success of the investigation: the gang committed their first crime on September 8 by throwing a Molotov cocktail at the exterior of the cell phone store in Vienna-Meidling, which burned down to the sidewalk. On September 12, four perpetrators wearing balaclavas and armed with knives entered the store, broke the window and stole two iPhones.
Offer to protect businesses
But that was not enough: three days later, two men entered the store and offered the owner protection from further attacks. They also underlined this demand with the WhatsApp message: “Brat, (…) there are four good men available who could guard your business 24 hours a day (…) it would pay off for you.” The owner rejected this with the words “No Bro”.
Further attacks on the store took place, including explosives seriously damaging the store shutters and a Molotov cocktail being thrown into the store. At that moment the entrepreneur and his wife were inside. Fortunately, they were not injured. In late September, a box was left outside the store containing a threatening letter to extort protection money and a rifle cartridge to underline the threat. However, the 14-year-old who delivered the threatening message was observed by witnesses and arrested.
The head of the gang was an 18 year old
What was striking was that the young people were blameless, apart from minor crimes. The cell phone store, which they chose more or less at random, was also their first and so far only known attempt to extort protection money. “You were probably at the beginning of your criminal career,” Winkler said.
Cell phone video as the first clue
The Vienna State Criminal Investigation Department, which investigates gang crime, has been involved in extensive investigations since the first incident in early September. The first concrete evidence was provided by the seized mobile phone of a witness who filmed one of the arsons in the mobile phone shop.
The head of the gang, whose members met mainly in parks, was likely an 18-year-old Chechen who incited the youths to commit the crimes – without being paid for it.
The suspects are under investigation for damage to property, theft with serious consequences in the context of a criminal organization, serious extortion and attempted intentional grievous bodily harm. Two of the young men have now been released due to their young age. They go back to school.
Source: Krone
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