ATM blown up in front of Kaufland in Oldenburg – perpetrators flee!

ATM blown up in front of Kaufland in Oldenburg – perpetrators flee!

On the night of Monday, October 1, 2025, unknown people blew up an ATM in front of Kaufland on Stubbenweg in Oldenburg. The loud bang woke up numerous residents, who immediately alerted the police. When they arrived, the officers found a badly damaged ATM booth, but the perpetrators had not managed to get any cash. The Oldenburgische Landesbank (OLB) explained that the inside of the machine was well protected against explosions, which deprived the thieves of their wages. Despite the failed plan, there is talk of “high property damage”, while the police have already started investigating and are asking possible witnesses for information, which can be reported on (0441) 79 04 115.

The explosion occurred around 4 a.m. and could be heard far beyond the city. Witnesses reported seeing a white van and a motorcycle possibly connected to the incident. Despite an intensive search call, the perpetrators were able to escape, which doesn't make the situation easy for the police. The ATM was put into operation in April 2024 and is secured with special steel elements to prevent such attacks. But even these measures do not seem to deter criminals.

Review of the development of ATM explosions

In Germany, the number of ATM explosions has recently declined. According to the current federal situation report from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), a total of 461 ATMs were blown up in 2023, which represents a decrease of 7.1% compared to 2022. This encouraging development shows that banks and savings banks are increasingly taking security measures. However, the situation remains tense as the amount of cash stolen remains high and many perpetrators belong to organized gangs.

• Im Jahr 2023 gab es 461 Sprengungen.
• Der Rückgang betrug 7,1 % im Vergleich zu 2022.
• Die erbeutete Summe beläuft sich auf 28,4 Millionen Euro.
• Simultan stieg die Anzahl der Tatverdächtigen auf 201, was einen Anstieg von 57 % darstellt.

It is striking that 87% of the blasts were carried out with solid explosives, while gas and gas mixture blasts are increasingly pushed into the background due to their higher error rate. Propensity for violence is another point of concern; In recent years there have been repeated fatal traffic offenses that are closely linked to risky escape attempts.

The situation is forcing policymakers to increase pressure on banks to continue investing in the security of their ATMs. A planned law would drastically increase the penalties for ATM blasts; Imprisonment sentences of at least two years and changes to the Explosives Act are being considered in order to deal with the problem.

In connection with the explosion in Oldenburg, it remains to be seen what new findings the police investigation will produce. The search is ongoing and there is hope that the perpetrators will be caught soon. The banks' security precautions will still need to be tested in order to give citizens in the region a feeling of security.

For further details on this incident and the ongoing investigation, information can be found on local news portals such as NDR or NWZonline. For a more in-depth overview of the developments in ATM explosions in Germany, take a look at daily news to.