The Romanians had specialized in breaking into drug stores and children’s clothing boutiques.

2:51 p.m., March 17, 2021

Unknown perpetrators have been involved in several burglaries in Drug stores and children’s clothing boutiques in Tyrol has caused over one million euros in damage since March 2020. The group of offenders is supposed to be out at least nine Romanians between the ages of 21 and 49, the police said on Wednesday. Five main suspects could be arrested.

Since March 2020 has been in several drug stores in the Tyrolean lowlands, with a focus on the Zillertal, broken into. The perpetrators proceeded in an “extremely professional and labor-sharing manner” and stole a large number of articles, the police said. The stolen property was transported away in several vehicles, which is why the investigators assumed a larger number of perpetrators.

High-priced goods selected

In October and December of last year, several break-ins followed in the same way in children’s clothing boutiques in Seefeld (Innsbruck-Land district). Similar to the drugstore break-ins, a large number of high-priced items were stolen here too.

The criminalists were finally able to identify nine Romanians who are suspected of having traveled to Austria in different compositions for the break-ins and of having committed a total of ten burglaries in Tyrol. Five main suspects between the ages of 31 and 49 were in Romania, Luxembourg and Austria have meanwhile been arrested. They were in custody or extradition custody.

The three suspects were discovered by a policewoman who saw a suspicious vehicle in her free time in East Tyrol in December and notified the responsible police inspection. Although the suspects used forged identity cards, an existing European arrest warrant was finally executed and the other two main suspects arrested.