The crime is believed to have happened between Thursday and Saturday last week, police said.
The house was empty at the time because the occupant, who lived alone, had died a week earlier. The perpetrators broke down the front door and stole nine handguns – mostly old pistols and revolvers from World War II – as well as an unknown amount of ammunition and a long gun. The late owner had owned the guns legally, all were registered.
The burglars also stole an unknown quantity of daggers, knives and bayonets as well as medals, badges and decorations of the German Wehrmacht.
Value of loot unknown
The total value of the stolen items is not known, and there were no clues as to the perpetrators for the time being. As a result, it is also unclear whether the perpetrators knew what they would find in the house. According to information from the police, however, the deceased was well known in his environment as a collector of historical weapons.
The perpetrators are likely to find a buyer for such loot – World War II weapons and Nazi memorabilia – a public prosecutor said in an interview with OÖ Nachrichten: “These items can be turned into money. In Eastern Europe you can sometimes buy them at markets.”
Source: Nachrichten
