Berlin, Feb 2 (AP) Nine men suspected of involvement in blowing up dozens of cash machines in Germany and stealing some 5.2 million euros (nearly USD 5.7 million) have been arrested in the Netherlands and Belgium, German authorities said Thursday.

The arrests were made during raids on 16 properties in the two neighbouring countries on Monday, prosecutors and police in the southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg said.

Also Read | Watch: Kitesurfing During a Storm in Ashkelon, Israel – Latest Tweet by Reuters.

The suspects are aged between 25 and 41 and are Dutch, Moroccan, Afghan, Turkish and Romanian nationals resident in the Netherlands or Belgium, authorities said. German prosecutors are seeking their extradition. Investigators are still looking for another three suspected accomplices.

The 52 explosions at cash machines in Germany, all but one of them in the two southern states, started in November 2021 and continued until January 19. They took place mostly deep in the night.

Also Read | Bank of England Hikes Interest Rates by Half-Point to 4% To Tame Inflation.

The perpetrators caused damage estimated at more than 6.7 million euros, more than the total value of the cash they stole by blowing up the machines that contained it. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)