Police in Austria have arrested a person who they claimed earned a residing by breaking into coin-counting machines in financial institution lobbies. Complete damages are estimated at greater than $22,000.

Investigators stated the unemployed 36-year-old Austrian man had in all probability began raiding the machines in October 2021.

They're now inspecting comparable incidents within the states of Higher Austria, Decrease Austria and Vienna to find out if the identical suspect was behind them.

Officers stated it took the alleged perpetrator, who had clearly perfected his craft, solely a minute to steal the cash from the machines with a software.

Coin theft
An Austrian man was caught by police after breaking into coin-counting machines for a residing and stealing greater than $22,000. Decrease Austrian Police/Zenger

A specialised crime unit tried to trace down a automobile following a raid within the foyer of a financial institution department in Linz.

The automobile was finally situated within the district of Donaustadt within the Austrian capital of Vienna, greater than two hours away.

State prosecutors in Linz recognized the suspect and ordered a search of his residence on February 8, although he was not named.

Law enforcement officials seized a number of baggage and containers filled with cash from his residence, together with the haul from his newest raid.

Additionally they confiscated garments and instruments, together with a brief crowbar and two screwdrivers, from his automobile.

The suspect was arrested on the scene and brought to Linz Jail. He confessed to police and said he had financed his residing with the burglaries.

Investigators stated they had been sure the identical suspect was behind a minimum of one other 10 such instances in Linz and Vienna between October 23, 2021 and February 7, 2022.

The Decrease Austria Police added: "The damages quantity to round EUR 20,000 ($22,000), with the injury to property being minor."

The State Felony Police Workplace of Decrease Austria is constant to hold out intensive investigations into potential comparable burglaries.

Euro coins
Above, Euro cash are readied for distribution August 28, 2001 within the Netherlands Financial institution depot in Lelystad, Holland. Michel Porro/Getty Photographs

In late December 2021, Clark County, Washington, sheriff's deputies arrested a Las Vegas man accused of dressing up as a CoinStar worker and stealing greater than $5,000 in cash from the machine on the Brush Prairie WinCo in Vancouver, Washington, in response to The Chronicle.

The suspect, Richard Pena, was booked on suspicion of first-degree theft and felony impersonation. A retailer staffer instructed deputies a person used a key to open the CoinStar machine, then loaded the money field onto a dolly earlier than transporting it to a white van.

Pena instructed the arresting officers he didn't have a job and wanted the cash. He could be seen on retailer surveillance video as he opened the machine, in response to courtroom data.

This story was supplied to Newsweek by Zenger Information.