Intensive care offender arrested at Cologne/Bonn airport – suitcase cut open with knife!

Intensive care offender arrested at Cologne/Bonn airport – suitcase cut open with knife!

In the early morning of June 4th, Cologne/Bonn Airport became the scene of an unusual incident. A 57-year-old German citizen was seen trying to force open a previously stolen suitcase with a knife. The man who tried to cut open the suitcase with a cutter knife was caught by the federal police and taken away. This arrest was part of a larger fight against rising crime, which is increasingly coming into the spotlight in Germany. According to the latest statistics, a total of around 5.63 million crimes were recorded, with theft and robbery still being among the most common crimes, as Statista shows.

The examination of the accused revealed that he had already appeared on several occasions for theft offences. Investigations show that it is an intensive offender. A few hours before his arrest, the suspect had committed various crimes in the Cologne city area, including fraud. When the 57-year-old was searched, the officers found additional stolen goods, which supports the assumption that he was an organized thief. The Cologne police then took the man over for further measures, as Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reported.

Increasing theft crimes in focus

Theft crimes appear to be increasing compared to previous years. In 2022, for example, around 1.78 million police-recorded thefts were recorded, which represents an increase compared to the previous year. Shoplifting is particularly noticeable, making up the largest group with over 344,000 cases. But bicycle and car thefts are also very popular. North Rhine-Westphalia recorded over 23,500 residential burglaries in 2022, which corresponds to more than 35% of the total burglaries in the German federal states, as Statista highlights.

The situation at Cologne/Bonn Airport is a reflection of social problems. Security is becoming increasingly important, especially considering the fact that the clearance rate for home break-ins and car thefts is comparatively low. While the clearance rate for vehicle theft is 31.1%, it is worryingly low for residential burglaries at just 16.1%. This shows that the police are required to develop new strategies to combat crime.

The incident at the airport leads us to conclude that not only the acute danger posed by individual criminals, but also the general trends of increasing crime in Germany must be taken seriously. The efforts of the police, especially in large cities such as Cologne, are therefore crucial in maintaining citizens' sense of security.