Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper): On December 2, a man on leave from prison was arrested for attempting a ram raid at a Toyota garage in Mechelen. He had previously committed similar crimes using stolen vehicles with fake plates.
Ram raids occurred in several areas by groups of one to three individuals who used a careful plan. According to Sabine Lievens from the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office, the thieves started using a stolen vehicle with fake license plates to avoid being caught. They drove the car into shop windows to break in and focused on stealing money and other valuables. After the theft, they escaped in the same vehicle. To remove any evidence like fingerprints or DNA, they emptied fire extinguishers inside the car before abandoning it in another location.
How did a prisoner commit ram raids during leave in Mechelen?
In some cases, the criminals improved their methods by stealing a new car during the raid. They often targeted a vehicle from the garage of the place they had just broken into and used it as their getaway car. By frequently changing cars and taking steps to cover their tracks, they made it very difficult for police to trace their movements or identify them.
The federal police in Halle-Vilvoorde, along with local police from Rode and Ukkel, investigated a man who was already in prison for similar crimes but had regular leaves. They found out that he committed ram raids during these leaves. On December 2, while on leave, he was caught trying to break into a Toyota garage in Mechelen. He has now been arrested and taken to court.
