A Romanian and a Moldovan were arrested in Austria after customs officers found suspicious equipment hidden under mattresses

A 31-year-old Moldovan national and a 33-year-old Romanian national were arrested in Austria after customs officers found numerous pieces of second-hand construction equipment and tools hidden under mattresses in their van. The vehicle was stopped on Monday at around 8 p.m. at the St. Jakob am Arlberg toll station on the S16 expressway, while traveling from Vorarlberg.

During an inspection of the cargo compartment, officers discovered equipment made by several well-known manufacturers. The two men were unable to provide documents for the goods and offered no convincing explanations regarding their origin.

Subsequent checks showed that most of the tools bore labels with the name of a Swiss construction company. Through the Schaanwald Police Cooperation Centre, investigators learned that the company had been burglarized between October 9 and 12.

Acting on instructions from the Innsbruck Public Prosecutor’s Office, the two suspects were detained and the van was impounded. The investigation is continuing to determine whether all the equipment found in the van originated from the theft committed in Switzerland.