A major trial started in the German state of Bavaria on Thursday in which sixteen mainly Dutch suspects are on trial. They are said to have blown up dozens of ATMs throughout Germany from 2021 onwards. The explosions caused millions in damage.
Even before the charges were read, the trial was interrupted several times. The suspects’ lawyers complained that they had only recently obtained many important court documents. The judge was also not happy with that, the newspaper reports Badische Neueste Nachrichten.
The suspects are between 23 and 42 years old. They largely live in the Netherlands, but in some cases they also have Moroccan, Turkish or Romanian nationality. The group is on trial for thirty explosive attacks in the past three years. They allegedly stole more than 3.3 million euros. The damage caused by the explosions is estimated at around 5.5 million euros.
Most bombings took place in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. They are also said to have struck in Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Hesse.
More than seventy trial days have been allocated for the trial until the end of this year. Due to its size, it takes place in a sports hall at the German police training institute in Bamberg. To prevent the process from being delayed as much as possible, each suspect is assisted by two to three lawyers.
The trial continues on May 8.
