The arrest of 13 members of the alleged criminal group took place last Friday, September 6, in eastern France, according to statements from the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) and the Swiss Federal Police (Fedpol) released on Tuesday. A report from the leading French authority, JIRS (Juridiction interrégionale spécialisée) based in Nancy, confirmed the arrests.

According to JIRS, the individuals arrested in a garage in Strasbourg were French, Dutch, and one Russian national. According to the French newspaper «Le Parisien», the operation followed the group's detonation of an ATM on Friday morning in Hagenbach, Baden-Württemberg, near Germersheim.

Intensive International Investigations

The OAG noted that the arrests were the result of extensive international investigations involving France, Switzerland, and Germany, with significant contributions from Fedpol and the OAG.

The collaboration spanned several months, involving the exchange of intelligence through the police channels of the involved countries and coordination at the prosecutor level. A joint investigation strategy was established at a meeting with French and German partners in late June 2024.

Ten Explosions in Switzerland

The group is suspected of being behind numerous ATM bombings in France, Switzerland, and Germany. According to current investigations, they are believed to be responsible for about ten ATM explosions in Switzerland in recent months.

The OAG, Fedpol, and cantonal police forces are currently conducting multiple criminal proceedings in close cooperation. The investigations aim to clarify the roles and involvement of those arrested. As always, the presumption of innocence applies until final convictions are reached.

The success of this operation highlights that the perpetrators behind ATM bombings in Switzerland often operate across cantonal and national borders. This highlights the fact that such crimes are an international phenomenon, impacting Switzerland as well.

Increase in Cases

Over the past two to three years, the OAG has observed a rise in cases where ATMs are broken into using explosives. When explosives are involved, federal authorities take the lead; otherwise, responsibility falls to the cantons. In this context, the OAG is currently handling criminal proceedings related to approximately 100 cases.

In 2023, Fedpol recorded 19 ATM bombings and three attempts. This year has already seen several such incidents, with the most recent occurring in Wattenwil, in the canton of Bern.