A driver of a courier company was stopped for inspection near Hanover. Parcels containing bars of gold disappeared from the vehicle. This is another victim of fake cops in Germany in recent weeks.
A delivery van was stopped for inspection near Hanover. It was directed from the A2 motorway to a dirt road by a passenger car, which displayed the well-known instruction ‘Bitte folgen’ (please follow this vehicle). Two men got out of the car, pretending to be government officials. While one of them talked to the driver, the other one got into the cargo hold of the vehicle from which he took the contents of several parcels, i.e. bars of gold worth €42,000, reports ndr.de.
According to the local police, there is no indication that the perpetrators knew in advance what would be transported in the vehicle. The thieves were driving a black BMW 5 Series. One of them was a brunette with a beard, about 1.90 m tall. He was dressed in dark jeans and a dark bomber jacket. The other man was also a brunette, about 1.80 m tall, he had a 3-day beard and was dressed in black. According to the victim of the theft, men are about 30 years old.
How do you tell a real policeman from a fraud?
A similar situation occurred in Germany last December. At that time, two Polish drivers fell victim to fake policemen. The truckers were stopped for inspection on the A4 in Cologne. The perpetrators who pretended to be cops were in a black passenger car. A passenger of the vehicle showed the drivers through the window a police badge and then directed them with a gesture of his hand to the side of the road. First, he checked the documents of both drivers and then searched both of them and the vehicle. The perpetrator took €2,000 in cash from the truck and ran away to the car that left, tires squealing.
The spokesperson of the Nienburg/Schaumburg police claims that regular traffic checks are carried out by uniformed officials. Checks are carried out using vehicles marked ‘Polizei’, and a real policeman can be recognized by his uniform with state emblems or by his service weapon. On the other hand, police officers in civilian clothes usually stop vehicles with a traffic wand (with the inscription ‘Halt Polizei’) and/or a light signal. Officers should identify themselves with a police ID card during checks. If for some reason this is not possible, every officer must agree to make a phone call to the local police station to verify their authenticity.
Since February 2018, the police ID card (police ID) has been the size of a credit card and gradually replaces the previous paper card,” explains Paul Reich, senior lawyer at TransCash.eu.
In some federal states, e.g. Lower Saxony, officers still use paper cards.
The police also recommend closing all vehicle doors, even if the loading and unloading stops are only a short distance away.
Photo: Polizei Bayern