German Police Arrest 3 in Crackdown on Group that Stole Luxurious Cars

Published: 26 February 2022

Germany Europol Arrest

German police arrested three suspects and searched their properties in Dortmund. All three are Bosnian nationals who illegally live in Germany. They allegedly broke into people’s homes, stole the keys of their luxurious cars and then simply drove off with them. (Photo: Europol, Youtube/screenshot, License)

By Damir Bešlija

A joint German, Austrian and Bosnian police operation dismantled an organized crime group suspected of stealing luxurious cars in several German federal states, Europol reported on Wednesday.

German police arrested three suspects and searched their properties in Dortmund. All three are Bosnian nationals who illegally live in Germany. They allegedly broke into people’s homes, stole the keys of their luxurious cars and then simply drove off with them. The total value of the stolen vehicles was estimated to more than US$1.68 million.

The Europol coordinated operation was made possible by the EU funded project ‘Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans – IPA 2019’ and the investigation was conducted within the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

Europol provided intelligence data and analysis and brought together investigators working on the strategy of dismantling the criminal group. On the action day Europol’s European Serious Organized Crime Center deployed a mobile office to the operational center in Dortmund, thus enabling a direct connection between investigators from Germany, Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina.