Austria has become a new target for organised crime. Explosive attacks on its ATMs have multiplied.Â
Austria’s sudden appeal to criminal networks is a consequence of a squeezing-out effect, as nearby German authorities have fortified their own cash machines.
Certain countries are attractive because their citizens have a strong affinity for cash.
A recent European Central Bank study found Austrians have the highest preference for paying with physical money in the eurozone. For criminals, a cash-friendly culture means towns full of well-stocked ATMs.
A Borderless Heist: How the Euro Fuels Crime
The single currency is a dream for criminals. Over a period of several months, thieves stole millions of euros from German ATMs and drove the money straight back to the Netherlands.
The cash flows into the local economy without a trace.
Gangs operate with chilling efficiency. Investigators found that suspects scouted potential ATM locations in Austria for weeks before an attack, with a German national providing logistical support. They use solid explosives that unleash devastating force, obliterating the machine and its surroundings.
The financial toll is shocking. In one case, a group of Dutch citizens allegedly caused damage costing several times the amount they stole.
Each explosion tears through building facades, waking residents to chaos as the thieves escape in high-speed cars.
Why the Netherlands Became an Exporter of Crime
The result is a strange paradox: the Netherlands itself is largely safe from such attacks.
Its safety is the product of a domestic crackdown, with measures like overnight ATM shutdowns and glue systems that ruin stolen cash.
But the domestic measures inadvertently produced what one Dutch police spokesperson bluntly called an "export product."
Last year, many Dutch citizens were arrested for their involvement in ATM robberies, with most of the crimes happening abroad.
The Flipside of an Open Europe
European integration was designed to bring prosperity by allowing goods, services, and people to move freely. The euro made commerce seamless.
However an unintended consequence of such openness is that criminal proceeds enjoy the same freedom of movement.
An asymmetric advantage is afforded to criminals, who exploit a borderless currency zone while navigating a patchwork of local laws and penalties. They can plan their operations in Utrecht, carry them out in Bavaria, and return home to launder the money through legitimate channels.
Fighting Back with Borderless Cooperation
Germany’s response points to the limits of a purely domestic policy. Germany increased its minimum sentences for such robberies, and a Frankfurt court sentenced a group of men to lengthy prison terms, stating previous punishments were inadequate.
Their effectiveness in securing their own borders directly contributed to the surge in Austria. Teamwork is the only way forward. Recognizing the need, authorities are collaborating more than ever.
Coordinated raids in Germany and the Netherlands led to many arrests.
In another joint operation, Austrian, Dutch, and German authorities, coordinated by Europol, worked together on an intense investigation that led to more arrests in Austria.
The euro’s ability to integrate economies was powerful. To protect the benefits of an open Europe, authorities must now muster the same level of cross-border determination that was used to build the single currency in the first place.
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