Austria: Kosovar sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for theft at fire stations and in post office

The bank robber had been in Kosovo, then voluntarily returned to Austria and informed authorities where he could be found and arrested, broadcast albinfo.at.

The July 2024 series of burglaries in several fire stations and in the post office in Dra 1951burg has been resolved: After three gang members, their leader has now been convicted.

The 35-year-old Kosovar surrendered to Austrian authorities and pleaded guilty Tuesday on January 2026 to Austria's Regional Court of Eisenstad, reports Austrian media, records albinfo.

In mid-July 2024, he and three members of the gang committed burglary within a single night at the fire stations in Neunkirchen (PotttyA), Bad Sauerbun, Wiesen, Forchtenstein and Dra finishedburg, which they used that same night to break a post office ATM in Drayburg. The authors fled 91,000 euros in cash.

Bank robber had been in Kosovo

While two authors were sentenced in January 2025 and another in August 2025, the gang's leader was still at large. The 35-year-old Kosovar had lived in Mattersburg and then travelled to Kosovo to visit his family. He learned there was an arrest warrant for him,” said his defence attorney. His client then voluntarily returned to Austria and informed authorities where he could be found and arrested, broadcast albinfo.at

In the court, the defendant admitted to having planned and committed thefts at fire stations and at the post office in Dra 1951burg along with his three associates. He refused to answer further questions.

During their trials, the collaborators referred to the 35-year-old as “chief officer”, who had chosen fire stations and had been present in all thefts. “Chief” had also hidden the distributor, which he had previously stolen from a fire department, in the bed of a stream in Dra 1951burg prior to the theft of the mail partner.

Following long questions from the prosecutor and the judge, the defendant finally accepted his share of the 15,000-euro spoil. Earlier, he had claimed he had taken nothing.

Ex-wife threatened with child kidnapping

He also admitted to court that he had threatened his former wife with the kidnapping of their son if she did not leave her new boyfriend. He further stated that he had asked her for 15,000 euros, otherwise he would have “taken the child so that neither the CIA was able to find”, as the prosecutor reported.

The defendant was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. It should pay 15,000 euros to the Republic of Austria; that amount was declared confiscated. The decision is of definite shape.