Ingenious, highly organised, quick and ruthless
The numbers bring some relief: ATM attacks fell by almost half in 2023. But the numbers are only part of the story. A glance at the perpetrators shows they are ingenious, highly organised, quick and more ruthless than ever.
It usually takes four to five minutes to blow up an ATM. The criminals are professionals. Normally everything goes according to plan. Not so on 17 March 2023 in Münchenstein. When the perpetrators arrived at the Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank at 2.10am, someone was already in the entrance area of the bank. The two perpetrators did not hesitate: they hog-tied the innocent bystander, gagged him and took away his phone. They then blew up two cash machines and a coin counter. But they still couldn’t get the loot; the banknotes were protected by dye cartridges. Shortly afterwards, the police came upon the unfortunate man, untied him and helped him back to his feet. He escaped with a scare. The perpetrators had fled.
The unscrupulous behaviour of these criminals was no exception. The total number of attacks has fallen by around 40 % (from 56 to 32 attacks in 2023). However, the proportion of attacks using explosive devices – the criminals’ favourite method and also the most dangerous – remains consistently high. Attacks by igniting gas pumped into the machine or break-ins using tools, on the other hand, have fallen. The conclusion: the perpetrators want to get the cash quickly – regardless of the consequences.
Who are the perpetrators?
Romanian gangs are responsible for around half of the attacks using explosive devices. They began targeting ATMs across Europe 20 years ago, including machines in Switzerland. They have abandoned their initial lasso tactics – ripping the ATMs out with a steel cable – and since 2018 have been operating mainly with high-explosive devices. ATM attacks are their main source of income, although gang members often earn extra income from burglaries and shoplifting. fedpol knows from investigations in Switzerland and abroad that they use brothels as hiding places and contact points. The city of Tecuci in Romania is a stronghold of ATM burglars.
The Netherlands also plays a key role in Europe’s ATM blasting business, and has done so for around 15 years. In Switzerland, the ATM gangs have emerged since 2020. A large proportion of the attacks in Switzerland are down to organised crime groups from the Netherlands. Gang members are often, but not always, of Moroccan origin (hence the name ‹Mocro Maffia›). They are young and part of a subculture that celebrates the ATM attacks in music videos. They launder the stolen money in Swiss casinos and are also believed to use the cash to fund drug deals.
«ATM attacks are the bank robberies of today. The perpetrators target ATMs and their weapon is explosives. When ATMs are blown up, it’s only a matter of time before an innocent bystander is injured.»
Sebastian*, criminal analyst
What fedpol knows, …
… it knows thanks to an exchange of information with the cantonal police forces and foreign partner authorities. Criminal networks can only be weakened in the long term if their members are identified. Working with French, Dutch, German and other authorities, fedpol managed to make several arrests in 2023. Even if the figures for 2023 have fallen by almost half, any ATM attack is one too many. Every blast brings the risk of harm to innocent members of the public.
* Name changed
Entry bans and expulsion orders
Authorisations and purchases involving precursors for explosive substances