Search for Escaped "Battering Ram" Gang Leader Initially Unsuccessful

According to police spokesman Johann Baumschlager, tips about the escaped prisoner are still coming in. Information should be reported to the Lower Austria State Criminal Office. The 29-year-old Dutchman is also being sought with a wanted photo.

"Battering Ram" Gang Leader Escaped from Wiener Neustadt Prison on Monday

According to media reports, the man is believed to be the leader of the "Battering Ram" gang, which was convicted in 2024 after jewelry burglaries in the Shopping City Süd (SCS) in Vösendorf (Mödling district), in the Vienna Donauzentrum, and in Wiener Neustadt. The 29-year-old escaped on Monday shortly before 8:00 a.m. from the secure area of the Wiener Neustadt prison. Guards reportedly pursued the inmate, according to the Ministry of Justice. The prisoner fled in the direction of the train station.

Non-Final Verdict Against "Battering Ram" Gang Leader

According to the Ministry of Justice, the Dutchman was sentenced to imprisonment for various property offenses. The verdict is not yet final, and the man was in pre-trial detention. The criminal group, which is believed to have committed burglaries and an ATM explosion in Markgrafneusiedl (Gänserndorf district) in 2023, is thought to be active internationally. Last October, three Dutchmen received non-final prison sentences ranging from 20 months to nine years at the Wiener Neustadt Regional Court. A Bulgarian, who allegedly acted mainly as an accomplice, was non-finally sentenced to 30 months, 20 of which were suspended.

(APA/Red)

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