Break-in at Innsbruck gun shop sparks cross-border police chase
Thieves who broke into a weapons shop in Innsbruck fled across the German border, prompting a manhunt and a warning to the public.
Three suspects were arrested after breaking into a weapons shop in Innsbruck early on Friday and fleeing across the border into Bavaria, German police said. A search for possible further accomplices was continuing, German police said on X.
A witness reported the break-in to police shortly after 05:30, Innsbruck police spokesman Stefan Eder told Kronen Zeitung. The suspects fled in what appeared to be a stolen vehicle, triggering a large-scale manhunt, Eder said.
A police patrol spotted the suspected getaway car near the Zirler Berg area on the B177 Seefelder Strasse, the start of a high-speed chase that crossed into Germany, Eder said. German police lost visual contact with the vehicle near Mittenwald, before officers later found it crashed, with no sign of the occupants at first.
German police confirmed two arrests by midday and announced a third arrest shortly after; the men are a 34-year-old Dutch national and a 30-year-old man whose nationality has not yet been established, German investigators said. A large quantity of long guns was found and seized in the getaway vehicle, German investigators said.
Because it could not be ruled out that the suspects were armed during their flight, German police urged the public not to pick up hitchhikers or approach suspicious individuals on their own. A police helicopter assisted the search from the air, German police said. Rail traffic between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald was briefly suspended because of the operation, and the restriction was lifted by midday.
Investigations are continuing in both Innsbruck and the neighbouring German region, police said. Authorities have not disclosed where or how the three suspects were eventually detained.
What we know
- Three suspects arrested after a break-in at a weapons shop in Innsbruck and a cross-border chase into Germany
- A large quantity of long guns was recovered from the getaway vehicle, German police say
- Police warned the public not to pick up hitchhikers or approach suspicious people, in case suspects were armed
- Rail traffic between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald was briefly suspended during the operation
Not yet confirmed
- Whether additional accomplices are still being sought
Why it matters for Europe
The theft of multiple long guns from a licensed dealer and their transport across an open Schengen border before recovery illustrates the difficulty of containing illegal firearms once they cross into neighbouring jurisdictions, prompting a joint Austrian-German police response.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 1 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What happened in Innsbruck?
- Thieves broke into a weapons shop early on Friday and fled across the border into Germany, prompting a police chase, officials said.
- Were the suspects caught?
- Yes. German police said three suspects were arrested, though it has not been disclosed exactly where or when.
- Was the public in danger?
- Police warned the public to avoid hitchhikers or suspicious individuals as a precaution, since it could not be ruled out that the suspects were armed.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.