200 kg of cannabis seized from lorry – two arrests in Traiskirchen
Investigators stopped a drug lorry in Traiskirchen carrying 200 kg of cannabis worth over two million euros. Two men were arrested.
Drug lorry from Spain stopped in Traiskirchen – million-euro seizure and burglary series solved
Investigators have seized approximately 200 kilograms of cannabis herb with a street value of more than two million euros in Traiskirchen (Baden district). According to heute.at, a 58-year-old Bulgarian lorry driver and a 30-year-old Slovenian resident of Vienna were arrested in connection with the operation.
The action was initiated by an international tip received by the Federal Criminal Police on 12 July. According to this information, a Bulgarian articulated lorry was to transport a large quantity of drugs from Spain – via France and Italy or Slovenia – to Austria. On 13 July, investigators observed the vehicle at the Spielfeld border crossing upon entry and tracked it to the planned drop-off location in Traiskirchen.
Of the 200 kilograms of cannabis, 100 kilos were destined for the 30-year-old Slovenian; the remaining 100 kilos were to be transported further to Greece. Additionally, officers seized six kilograms of what appeared to be cocaine – subsequent examination revealed, however, that it was inactive counterfeit drugs.
Both men made partial admissions during questioning and were remanded to St. Pölten prison. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) praised the meticulous investigative work at a press conference on Thursday.
Burglary series in four federal states solved
In parallel, the Lower Austrian State Criminal Police achieved another success: 15 burglary thefts in Lower Austria, Vienna, Styria and Burgenland were solved.
Three Chileans aged 25, 29 and 40 were already arrested on 19 August in a Vienna apartment. An alleged accomplice (43) from Argentina was arrested in Rome on Sunday pursuant to a European arrest warrant; her extradition to Austria is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
According to investigators, the perpetrators targeted mainly residential properties. They hired vehicles in Vienna, apparently travelled from Italy specifically for this purpose and stayed in Austria for only two to five days at a time – always under false documents and identities.
The stolen goods included gold jewellery, coins, designer handbags and expensive glasses; in some cases, the perpetrators removed entire safes, which they subsequently broke open in wooded areas. In one burglary, a pistol and ammunition were also stolen, which were later recovered. The value of the stolen goods amounts to approximately 450,000 euros, with material damage of at least 200,000 euros. The three men arrested in Vienna were remanded to Korneuburg prison.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)