Image: unknown (APA/LPD STEIERMARK)
A 41-year-old from Leoben in Upper Styria is said to have obtained at least 30 such “documents” with his accomplice (38) from Hungary abroad and sold them in Austria. The elder is said to be responsible for burglaries. He was arrested and taken to Wels Prison, the Styrian State Police Directorate announced on Monday.
Criminalists from the LKA Styria/Niklasdorf branch office and officers from the Trofaiach and Erzherzog-Johann-Strasse Leoben police stations had been investigating the 41-year-old Romanian, who lives in Leoben, for more than a year. The starting point for this was a traffic check in January 2022 in Gmunden (Upper Austria): A man had identified himself with a fake driver’s license. The investigations led to the 41-year-old in Leoben. Styrian police officers then took over.
In September last year, the 41-year-old was searched by order of the public prosecutor’s office in Wels. Police officers seized forged documents and other evidence. The man was responsible for recruiting “customers” in the Leoben and Bruck-Mürzzuschlag area. His 38-year-old Hungarian accomplice, who has no permanent address, may have obtained the totally forged documents abroad.
The buyers of the fakes were 30 Romanians and one Austrian. The sale made the two men at least 37,000 euros. Particularly brazen: In numerous cases, the “customers” tried to have the forged foreign driver’s licenses transcribed into original Austrian documents. All buyers were displayed.
During the surveys, the 41-year-old was also able to prove several burglaries. In autumn 2022 he is said to have broken into a residential building including a workshop and two construction containers in Leoben. A burglary in a garden center in Lower Austria in April 2019 is said to be on his account. The damage caused by these crimes amounts to around 11,000 euros.
The 41-year-old was caught in Leoben with the support of the EGS (Task Force to Combat Street Crime). He admitted everything related to the forgeries, he only partially admitted to the burglaries. He was taken to Wels Prison. The 38-year-old is wanted, he may have fled abroad.
Source: Nachrichten
