Bank robbery in Linz: Mastermind Abubakar D. sentenced to 10 years in prison!

Bank robbery in Linz: Mastermind Abubakar D. sentenced to 10 years in prison!

Things got heated up in the Vienna regional court last week: Abubakar D., who is considered the “mastermind” of a spectacular bank robbery in Linz, was sentenced to ten years in prison. The robbery occurred on September 30, 2024, when two young men stormed the bank and loudly demanded cash. D. is said to have fled with around 78,000 euros in his luggage.

The legal disputes lasted several days and were under the watchful eye of the police and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. D., who had previous convictions for other crimes, pleaded not guilty and argued that he did not know what was in the bag that was given to him after the attack. Particularly spicy: He is also accused of money laundering because he is said to have used the loot to purchase, among other things, a Mercedes and a property in Hungary, as Puls24 reports.

Complex backgrounds

But D.'s trial is more than just a simple bank robbery. The public prosecutor sees him as a “pied piper” who drags young people into crime. The evidence revealed his involvement in a variety of criminal activities, which made the verdict and the associated statements all the more explosive.

He has a striking criminal history involving IS propaganda and an incident in which he shot a man with a gas pistol. This information shows that D. is not only involved in local crimes, but also touches on national security issues. According to reports, he is also said to have implicated third parties in a dispute between Syrians and Chechens, which could lead to further legal problems.

Crime statistics in focus

The case of Abubakar D. falls into a larger context related to the increased crime in Austria. Statistics show that around 528,000 crimes were reported in 2023 - the highest figure since 2016. Over a third of these crimes occurred in Vienna, where drug crime and white-collar crimes are particularly in focus. A significant number of the suspects are foreigners, which is causing concern among the population.

Vienna remains a hot spot, especially for the police, who are trusted by 77% of citizens, according to a spring 2024 survey. Nevertheless, many would like to see a stronger fight against crime, especially Islamist terrorism, which illustrates the ambivalent feelings among the public.

Abubakar D. lost the case, but the verdict is not yet final. He announced that he would appeal. Given his inglorious involvement and the current crime situation in Austria, it remains to be seen how this complex case will make further waves.