On August 22 at 2 a.m. three Moldovan citizens caused an explosion in a building on Komárnická street in Bratislava's Ružinov district, where they tried to rob an ATM. Although the criminals did not reach the money itself, their actions left the premises damaged and caused serious losses.
According to the police, a few weeks after the incident, an international operation by law enforcement ended with the detention of the suspects in Romania and their extradition to Slovak territory. Details of the special operation and the further fate of the detainees are revealed by the Bratislavak.sk portal.
Detention in Romania and extradition
The search for the group was conducted by the Bratislava criminal police together with foreign security services. During the investigation, the identities of three Moldovan men were established, who are suspected of a series of similar attacks on ATMs not only in Slovakia but also in neighboring Czechia.
On Tuesday, September 8, law enforcement carried out an operation to extradite the detainees from Romanian territory. Under enhanced security measures, the suspects were brought to Slovakia, where an armed escort group was waiting for them immediately.
Court decision and extended investigation
Immediately after the men's arrival, they were taken to judicial authorities. The judge of Mestský súd Bratislava I (Bratislava I City Court) decided to detain all three accused to prevent them from fleeing or continuing criminal activity. None of the accused filed complaints against this decision.
- Charges: The three Moldovan citizens are charged with serious criminal offenses related to nighttime explosions and property damage.
- Scale of losses: According to TV JOJ television, although in the specific case in Ružinov the money remained inside the device, the total amount of losses from previous raids by this group in the country reaches hundreds of thousands of euros.
Investigative authorities continue to work on the case. The police are checking the possible involvement of this trio in other similar ATM explosions that have been regularly recorded in various regions of Slovakia over the past months. If guilt is proven, the accused face several years behind bars.
