ATM in Aichtal blown up: perpetrator on the run!

ATM in Aichtal blown up: perpetrator on the run!

In the earliest morning of June 23, 2025, in Aichtal, in the Esslingen district, there was an unpleasant incident: unknown people blew up an ATM. As the Esslinger Zeitung 4.30 a.m. on Häfnerstrasse. Local residents heard a loud bang and saw three darkly dressed people who hastily got into a dark vehicle and drove away towards Aicher Straße. The police were quickly informed and initiated a search.

The ATM itself was badly damaged by the explosion and was located in a small, specially built building. Parts of the debris were thrown onto the street by the force of the detonation, which also resulted in a half -side blocking of Häfnerstrasse for several hours. When asked about the property damage incurred, the Esslingen criminal police do not provide any specific information, but estimates the costs of several ten thousand euros. The amount of the captured money also remains unknown because the investigation is still going.

Investigations and backgrounds

Due to the incident, the criminal police have started investigations into the manual explosion and severe band theft. In this context, citizens who have found burglaries in garages, halls or agricultural buildings in the past few days are asked to report them to the police. The officials can be reached for information on 0711/3990-0.

Similar incidents have caused a stir in the Esslingen district in the recent past. In October 2024, an explosive device was attached to an ATM in Frickenhausen, but it did not detonate. Just a month later, in November 2024, an ATM in Unterlenningen exploded, but without the perpetrators being able to capture money. These incidents joined a nationwide wave of ATM blasts, which according to a current report by the Tagesschau

nationwide developments

In 2023, 461 ATMs were blown up across Germany, which corresponds to a decline of 7.1 % compared to 2022. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) found that fixed explosives were used in 87 % of cases, which leads to considerable damage. In addition, 276 explosions were successful, in which the perpetrators captured cash of a total of 28.4 million euros. The violent approach of the suspects did not remain without consequences, which is why the police and politics increased the pressure to better secure ATMs.

The Federal Government also plans to raise the punishments for ATM blasts in order to end such crimes in the future. The situation in Aichtal now remains explosive, while investigators and citizens hope for a quick end to the search. It remains to be seen how things will go on, but one thing is certain: this kind of crime does not even stop in our small places.