Mayor Sharon Dijksma: “Utrecht has the dubious honor that many people who commit ATM explosions across the German border come from our city. In Germany, this has enormous financial and material consequences and can lead to life-threatening situations. In the past, there have even been casualties. We have been working on an approach against ATM bombers for some time and are working hard to get Utrecht perpetrators back on the right track after detention. To get a better view of which Utrecht residents are detained in North Rhine-Westphalia, we will further intensify cooperation with the authorities in that region.” 

An important topic of discussion during the visit was the exchange of information between the municipality and the authorities of North Rhine-Westphalia. Some of the Utrecht perpetrators detained in North Rhine-Westphalia after an ATM explosion are already known to the municipality. However, there is not always a clear view of when they will be released and return to Utrecht. Thanks to a new method, the mayor can now request additional information about their detention. With this, the municipality aims to better guide ex-detainees upon their return to the city. Mayor Dijksma symbolically handed over a first information request to Minister Limbach today, as a starting point for new cooperation in this area. 

During the visit, Ministers Reul and Limbach also received a detailed explanation of the Utrecht approach to ATM explosions. For example, on how the municipality, together with care and safety partners, provides support to ex-detainees to reintegrate into society. The new ban on the criminal use of technical aids such as beacons or encrypted phones was also discussed. This ban has been in effect since February 1, 2025, and Utrecht is the first municipality to tackle the use of such technical aids through municipal regulations. The German delegation received an explanation from the police and the Public Prosecution Service on how cross-border cooperation with the German authorities is now being shaped to track down and punish ATM bombers. Thanks to this intensive cooperation, several arrests have already been made and sentences imposed in recent years. 

Minister Dr. Limbach: “During the visit, we had open and constructive discussions about a challenge that has been affecting both our regions for some time: cross-border organized crime, specifically ATM explosions, and how we can effectively combat them. From the beginning, it was clear that we all want to work hard to improve the situation and that real progress is only possible through close cooperation and mutual trust. Thanks to efforts on both sides, we have already seen noticeable improvements. Better preventive measures, stricter enforcement, and especially more direct communication between our authorities have really made a difference.”

Minister Reul: We dont need to change laws in the fight against ATM explosions; we just need to cooperate more closely and precisely. So far, we have already been able to arrest many perpetrators and achieve great successes in investigations. That is a joint achievement. Banks in North Rhine-Westphalia have also improved their technology, which means that ATM bombers rarely make off with loot. But there is still a need to further strengthen and expand our cooperation with the city of Utrecht. Because only in this way can we leave the phenomenon of ATM explosions behind us in the long term.

The visit of Ministers Reul and Limbach follows a visit by the Utrecht triangle (mayor, police, and Public Prosecution Service) to North Rhine-Westphalia in May 2023.