For just over twenty years, the federal criminal investigation service has also had its own unit for target investigation. Since then, hundreds of murderers, drug lords and robbers have been arrested.
On August 24, Serbian special forces stormed an apartment in Pomoravlje province. A 25-year-old Austrian and a Bosnian of the same age were handcuffed. The reason: the duo tried to commit a robbery with a firearm in Vienna in April.
The fact that the criminals who fled abroad were arrested is thanks to a unit of the Federal Criminal Police (BK) in Vienna.
Serious criminals are targeted both abroad and at home
The so-called “Fugitive Active Search Team” (FAST Austria for short), commonly called the target search unit, was founded in August 2003. Their specialists work undercover – worldwide.
They are always looking for serious criminals wanted both in Austria and internationally. Even in their own country, researchers strike again and again.
The arrest on August 24 in Serbia is more than gratifying as it marks the unit’s 300th success, marking its 20th anniversary. A total of 307 intensive care offenders have been arrested so far.
65 of them have previously murdered one or more people, 48 robbed banks, business premises or private individuals, 28 traded in heroin, cocaine, cannabis, etc. 90 fraudsters who caused more than 2.5 billion euros in damage are also among the success reports of the target search unit included. Incidentally, 92 percent of those arrested are men (282), while at the age of 25 only eight percent are women. The average time between the activation of the search and the arrest is 100 days.
Austrians committed large-scale fraud from Asia
The researchers are particularly proud of two cases from the current year. A Serb who trafficked cocaine on a large scale in Europe has been arrested in Thailand. In Indonesia, investigators have killed an Austrian man after serious commercial fraud. Because such foreign missions increasingly require international support, the unit is a founding member of the international ENFAST.
Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) is proud of the successes: “With their excellent work, the specialists contribute every day to removing wanted criminals from circulation at home and abroad.”
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.
