It was simple and brazen: a thief simply towed away eleven caravans this year during the winter and spring months and sold most of them. To do this, he simply offered it on an internet platform and immediately two police officers were at the door as buyers of a vehicle stolen in Enns.
From January 2024, caravans continued to disappear, mainly from permanent campsites in Upper and Lower Austria. Those who were stolen often only noticed their absence weeks later when they checked their companions or their summer homes.
The owner recognized her caravan
And the raid would probably have continued happily if a woman from Enns had not accidentally discovered her own caravan on an internet sales platform. She was smart, wrote to the seller as an interested party and at the same time informed the theft experts of the Upper Austrian State Criminal Investigation Department. They intervened as a customer and arranged a meeting in the northernmost Burgenland, on the border with Slovakia. There the seller led the investigators to an abandoned train station, where two caravans and several other vehicles and trailers were parked.
After inspecting the parked caravans it was clear without a doubt that Enns’ wife was also there and the handcuffs clicked.
No paper, doesn’t matter
During the subsequent interrogations, the unemployed Lower Austrian (34) confessed and admitted that he had stolen a total of eleven caravans for 200,000 euros. And he did it very clumsily: he drove his car with a tow bar, hitched the caravan and drove away. When he sold it, he openly said that he had no papers. But that did not bother the buyers, because they wanted to use the caravans as long-term campers anyway. Three more caravans were confiscated, the rest have disappeared.
Also insurance fraud
In addition, a trailer was found at the station building that the suspect had officially purchased but reported as stolen; he had collected the insurance amount.
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.
