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OFFBEAT

Austrian police stumped by spate of cowbell thefts

Who would steal cowbells from cows grazing in the Austrian mountains? That's what police are asking themselves.

Published: 26 August 2019 16:21 CEST
Austrian police stumped by spate of cowbell thefts
Austrian cows wearing traditional headdress during the cattle drive. Photo: sasimoto/Depositphotos.com

Austrian police are looking for thieves who stole bells from cows grazing in three pastures in the west of the alpine country, a spokesman said on Monday.

“Of course people may wonder why someone would steal a cowbell,” Bernhard Gruber, a police spokesman from the Tyrol region, told AFP.

He said police were still investigating the three thefts, which all occurred this month, totalling 10 cowbells. They suspect the thieves in at least the last two cases were the same.

Gruber estimated that the bells were worth a total of around €500 ($550).

“They don't have a high material value… but for the farmers themselves it's more the sentimental value,” Gruber said.

READ ALSO: Dutch anti-cowbell campaigner handed Swiss citizenship

Many breeders take their cattle to graze in mountain pastures in the spring, bringing them back down before winter.

The festive cattle drive in late September or early October – featuring farmers wearing traditional lederhosen and cows festooned with flowers – is a popular tourist draw.

CRIME

Austria detains suspected Islamists amid security fears

Authorities in Austria have detained three people amid concerns over calls for terror attacks on December 24th.

Published: 24 December 2023 15:01 CET
Austria detains suspected Islamists amid security fears

Austria on Sunday said three people were detained for suspected involvement in an “Islamist network”, as Vienna and Cologne step up police controls citing heightened security concerns during Christmas.

German police are carrying out strict controls at the entry of the cathedral in the western city of Cologne following a “danger warning” for New Year’s Eve.

Austrian police have also stepped up checks, especially around churches, religious events and Christmas markets in Vienna, citing an “increased risk”.

Austrian authorities “intervening in an Islamist network” made four arrests Saturday, the interior ministry said Sunday.

A ministry spokesman said of the four, three had been detained pending further investigations.

“There was no immediate threat of an attack in Vienna,” he told AFP, declining to comment further.

According to the German daily Bild, one arrest was also made in Germany.

The arrested suspects are said to be Tajiks who allegedly wanted to carry out attacks for Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), an IS offshoot in Afghanistan, Bild reported.

“Terrorist actors across Europe are calling for attacks on Christian events — especially around December 24th,” Vienna police said in a statement.

Besides Austria and Germany, Spain also received indications that an Islamist group was planning several attacks in Europe, possibly on New Year’s Eve and Christmas, Bild said.

According to the newspaper, the targets of these attacks could be Christmas masses in Cologne, Vienna and Madrid.

In July, a cell of suspected Islamists from IS-K was dismantled in Germany and the Netherlands.

Those arrested in Germany were said at the time to have been planning an attack in the country.

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