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Frankfurt Regional Court: Sprinklers face up to 14 years in prison!
Verdict against ATM blaster in Frankfurt: Six men charged, long prison sentences demanded. Current developments and preventative measures.
Frankfurt Regional Court: Sprinklers face up to 14 years in prison!
On Thursday, July 17, 2025, the Frankfurt am Main regional court will decide on the criminal future of a gang of ATM busters that has been active in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in recent years. The focus is on six men who are said to have been involved in a total of seven explosions. These acts not only caused great financial damage, but also raised questions about the security of the infrastructure. According to [Antenne NRW](https://antenne.nrw/blaulicht/landgericht-frankfurt-entscheidet-ueber-geldautomaten Sprenger-bande/), the gang's balance sheet shows: over 870,000 euros in loot and more than 2.5 million euros in damages.
The cities in which the explosions took place include Frankfurt, Bad Homburg, Neu-Isenburg, Jünkerath in Rhineland-Palatinate and Wickede in North Rhine-Westphalia. The public prosecutor's office is demanding high prison sentences: up to 14 years for a Dutch defendant with a criminal record who was involved in four explosions in the Rhine-Main area, as well as prison sentences of between five and a half and eleven and a half years for five other men. The accusation of attempted murder against two of the group is particularly explosive.
Organized crime and the origin of the perpetrators
A look at the background of the perpetrators shows that most of the ATM bombers do not come from Germany. Just over 30 percent of the suspects have German roots. According to information from Welt, the largest group of suspects consists of Dutch citizens, many with Moroccan roots. This is in line with the BKA's observations that over 70 percent of ATM bombers come from other countries.
Criminal police data shows the drastic increase in such crimes. In 2022 alone, the BKA reported 496 attempted or successful explosions. Statistically speaking, at least one ATM is blown up in Germany every day, with North Rhine-Westphalia being particularly affected - 153 attacks were counted here in 2023. Saxony, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate follow closely behind.
Safety measures and prevention
The dangers posed by these criminal activities should not be underestimated. The perpetrators work with dangerous tools such as cutting torches and explosives, which not only causes property damage but also endangers the life and limb of bystanders. In addition, the security precautions at many ATMs are considered inadequate, as they often store between 50,000 and 100,000 euros. Protective measures such as colored adhesive cartridges are not required by law, which further exacerbates the situation, as [BKA](https://www.bka.de/DE/ UnserAufgabe/Deliktsbereich/Geldautomaten Sprengungen/geldautomaten Sprengungen_node.html) states.
In order to counteract the increasing phenomenon, banks and authorities are investing more in preventative measures. The “Alliance ATMs” initiative now includes around 80 members and has already invested over 10 million euros in security precautions. Video surveillance, bank note coloring systems and alarm systems are some examples that are intended to help reduce explosions. But the results so far are rather sobering, as there are still no significant declines in the number of cases.
The state of security around ATMs therefore remains a hot topic. And while law enforcement continues to work on the gangs, it remains to be hoped that the measures will actually bear fruit before serious crimes cause harm to uninvolved third parties. The next developments in the ATM blast case will certainly be followed closely.