Crime tourists were on a large scale looking for cash as loot. Their ‘boss’ has been causing mischief in Austria for years. How the professional thief carried out his raids.
“I came to Austria to steal.” Without any hesitation, a Romanian revealed his motive for the crime to the police during his interrogation. The suspect showed remorse. His confession was hush-hush.
Fixed 400 euros from card
As reported, the professional thief stole a customer’s wallet – including a debit card with the corresponding PIN code – on May 25 in the Intro-Park shopping center in Siegendorf. He then collected 400 euros from a bank branch in Eisenstadt and disappeared.
Filmed by camera
However, the financial institution’s surveillance camera footage was his undoing. Nearly a week later, patrol officers patrolling in front of supermarkets in Siegendorf were able to recognize him from the mugshot.
Nearly a dozen coups
The handcuffs clicked for the Romanian Alin A. His companion, a fellow countryman, was also arrested. As it quickly became clear, both criminal tourists had recently stolen a customer’s wallet and debit card at a Mattersburg supermarket. The main perpetrator is believed to have carried out nearly a dozen such coups since May 15, according to the investigators’ initial findings after extensive investigations.
But hour by hour the list of violations grew longer and longer. The trail of crime tourists stretches from Burgenland via Lower Austria to Vienna. According to the current state of the investigation, the suspect has probably not only been causing mischief in Austria for a few weeks, but since 2016.
PIN code in wallet
The mastermind always used the same method: the wallets of older customers were stolen unnoticed in the supermarket branches, usually with a PIN or code. Immediately afterwards, Alin A. plundered the accounts.
In addition to his coups in May, he is said to have been involved in more than forty other cases. It cannot be ruled out that the main perpetrator was still carrying out raids with other accomplices. Investigations continue.
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.
