Police hunt Europe-wide group behind Vienna acid break-ins

A new nitric acid break-in in Ottakring has brought the number of such cases in Vienna this year to 19, ORF reported. Police are searching across Europe for a group believed to be responsible.

A resident of an apartment building on Degengasse noticed unusual residue on two entrance doors on Saturday. Police found that the doors had been etched with nitric acid.

The pattern is the same in each case, police spokesman Markus Dittrich said. The burglars first attach barely visible adhesive threads to the doors, often close to the floor between the door leaf and frame. They wait several hours or days and check whether the threads have been disturbed. If they remain intact, the burglars assume that nobody is home. They then apply acid to the lock, corroding it and weakening the locking mechanism so the door can be opened.

Police have been investigating the group across Europe for years. Like gangs that blow up cash machines, the suspects are repeatedly active in different European cities. Cases in Vienna have increased again since the beginning of the year, with another nitric acid break-in reported in Donaustadt last week.

The burglars mainly target cash and jewellery. Residents should pay closer attention and coordinate with neighbours if similar break-ins have occurred nearby. Anyone who finds acid residue on a door should immediately call the police and fire service. If the corrosive substance comes into contact with the skin, it should be washed off with water only.