Thieves attack tractors in Rostock – 30,000 euros in damage!

Thieves attack tractors in Rostock – 30,000 euros in damage!

There is currently a mood of alarm in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: professional thieves are targeting modern tractors and agricultural machinery. The police report a particularly spectacular case in Poppendorf near Rostock, where state-of-the-art GPS systems were stolen from three Fendt tractors on the night of Friday, October 24th. The estimated damage is at least 30,000 euros, which makes the scale of the crime clear. The tractors were on the premises of an agricultural company and were forcibly broken into. Employees of the farm noticed the theft the next morning and informed the criminal police, who are now investigating on suspicion of particularly serious theft.

But that's not the only incident: the number of thefts of GPS devices from agricultural machinery has risen sharply this year. According to Nordkurier, 23 cases were already registered between January 1 and September 14, 2025, while there were only nine thefts in the same period last year. The Mecklenburg Lake District is particularly affected, but Ludwigslust-Parchim, Western Pomerania-Rügen, Northwest Mecklenburg, Western Pomerania-Greifswald and Rostock are also struggling with similar incidents.

Expertise and precise technology in sight

The perpetrators appear to be well organized. The State Criminal Police Office suspects that many of these thefts are planned by professional groups of perpetrators and carried out nationwide. It is primarily the expensive GPS systems and their components such as on-board computers, monitors and control devices that attract thieves. This modern technology is of great importance for contemporary agriculture as it enables precise work and sustainable management.

The effects of the thefts are devastating. The high replacement value of the stolen equipment causes significant damage to agricultural businesses that rely on functioning technology during the harvest or sowing season. So far, the total damage caused by GPS thefts in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania amounts to around 547,000 euros, according to [Uckermarkkurier](http://www.uckermarkkurier.de/regional/rostock/gps-technik-aus-tractoren-gestohlen-hoher- Schaden-4049258).

A call for vigilance

The situation not only brings financial problems but also uncertainty and fear among farmers. The ongoing trend of increasing GPS thefts has caused many businesses to rethink their security precautions. It remains to be hoped that the police investigation will soon lead to success and that these well-organized groups of perpetrators can be stopped.