In the early hours of May 6, 2023, a powerful explosion shattered the quiet of Bad Homburg, Germany, sending glass shards flying up to 30 meters away. Two men had broken into a bank, packed an ATM with explosives, and within minutes, made off with €165,000 in cash, disappearing into the night.
This was not an isolated incident. Across Germany, ATM bombings have become alarmingly common, making the country a prime target for organized criminal groups. These attacks, often swift and meticulously planned, are seen as more lucrative and less risky compared to traditional bank robberies.
Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has been tracking this trend since 2005, but it was around 2015 that the numbers surged, particularly in Germany. By 2022, the number of ATM bombings had peaked at 496, double the figure from six years earlier.
Why Germany?
Germany’s geographic and economic landscape makes it an attractive target. Its proximity to the Netherlands—home to criminal networks orchestrating many of these attacks—plays a significant role. The Netherlands had previously been a hotspot for such bombings, but after the Dutch government significantly reduced the number of ATMs and bolstered security measures, criminals began looking eastward. Germany, with its 50,000 ATMs and a strong cultural reliance on cash, presented an ideal alternative.
The country’s vast highway network further facilitates quick getaways, while its decentralized banking system—comprising hundreds of independent savings and loan banks—complicates coordinated responses to the attacks.
Law Enforcement Struggles to Keep Up
North Rhine-Westphalia was one of the first German states to grapple with this wave of crime. Despite numerous arrests and long prison sentences, the attacks have continued unabated. According to Achim Schmitz, who leads the central police unit focused on these bombings, the initial belief that capturing key perpetrators would solve the problem has proven to be overly optimistic. Instead, the police have encountered an endless supply of young men, often Dutch nationals of Moroccan descent, trained to carry out these highly specialized operations.
In response, the German government announced plans to increase prison terms for ATM bombings to up to 15 years and to expand police surveillance powers. Prosecutors are also exploring new legal strategies, including charging suspects with attempted murder, in hopes of deterring future attacks. However, there is growing frustration within law enforcement circles over whether banks are doing enough to protect their machines.
The Industry’s Response
Germany’s financial sector has invested over €300 million in security upgrades, including alarm systems, defensive technologies, and measures to restrict the amount of cash stored in ATMs. However, this has sparked a technological arms race with criminals who are constantly adapting their methods. For instance, when banks introduced fogging systems to obscure visibility during an attack, criminals began using leaf blowers to clear the fog. When ATMs were reinforced, attackers responded by switching to more powerful explosives.
The success rate of these attacks remains around 60%, according to the BKA. Despite the best efforts to fortify ATMs, criminals continue to find ways to bypass these defenses, sometimes leading banks to close certain branches entirely.
Looking Ahead
The issue has prompted a broader discussion about the role of cash in German society. Some experts, like Jens Burrichter of the Lower Saxony police, suggest that Germany could learn from the Netherlands by reducing its reliance on cash and decreasing the number of ATMs. However, this is a challenging proposition in a country where cash remains deeply ingrained in the culture.
For now, German authorities are focused on improving cross-border cooperation, particularly with Dutch police, and utilizing digital tools to better track and apprehend perpetrators. Meanwhile, ATM bombings have spread beyond Germany’s borders, with recent attacks reported in Austria and Switzerland.
The ongoing battle between security measures and criminal ingenuity underscores the complexity of this issue. While significant progress has been made in some regions, the problem is far from solved, and it remains to be seen how effective the latest countermeasures will be.
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