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The film features re-enactments of actual events dramatized under the supervision

of the Slovak Police Force as based on case files and eyewitness accounts.

Annually, over 1,300 cars disappear in Slovakia.

The most stolen brands are Volkswagen, Skoda, and Fiat.

UK's NaVCIS intelligence service indicates a major car theft gang active in Slovakia.

According to the data, it is responsible for hundreds of stolen cars a year.

Team Alpha to OK1: We arrived at the target location.

We're entering a family house.

A non-invasive entry.

Team Bravo. We're on site. Enter block 7, 4th floor.

OK1 to all units: Proceed with caution.

The culprits may be armed and dangerous.

Team Bravo. We're on the roof, moving to window on 4th floor.

Roger.

Approaching the garage. Three subjects confirmed on the premises.

Suspects confirmed. Awaiting the signal.

Countdown initiated: ram in 2, window breach in 1.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

- Police! - One.

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT

My father died when I was 12.

A DOCUMENTARY BY DOMINIK BARI

I was just entering my teenage phase, and so was my brother.

Mum just failed to keep up.

She didn't manage to keep us within bounds.

Naturally, she was very sad about it, she suffered for years.

I stole my first car at about 14 or 15.

MARTIN EX CAR THIEF

But back then, it was just about getting a ride.

At 15 I was arrested.

When I got out at the age of 17, I joined a crew doing it for money.

I wasn't really thinking; I was young and didn't give a damn.

I ended up serving around 15 years.

As a young man, I thought it a good life.

There was money, parties, the whole shebang, but...

Too late did I find out there are more important things in life,

like family, children, home, love.

In the cold light of day, I know it's not worth it.

I went through it and lost 15 years of my life,

and I'm never getting that time back.

CAR GANGS

Since it was my first car ever, I was very much attached to it.

I come from Košice, so my license plate said KE.

Before bed each night, I'd glance out the window to check it was still there.

At night, all was very quiet.

My room faced the side where I parked, and I didn't hear a thing.

Leaving for work that morning,

it was my second day at a new job,

I went out to find my car gone.

DAGMAR CAR THEFT VICTIM

It had just vanished.

You wake up ready to head to work or start a family trip,

you grab the car keys, only to find your car missing.

Maybe you parked elsewhere than usual, such things happen,

however, it's much more probable that your car was stolen.

Well, I felt rather desperate.

I still hoped the car hadn't been stolen, just towed away.

I inquired with the city police about my license plate.

When they confirmed it wasn't there and told me to call the police,

I was really devastated.

It was a huge shock. I barely knew anyone here.

I'd been in Bratislava for seven days, second day at work.

I had to call the office that I wouldn't be coming in

and explain what had happened.

It wasn't pleasant at all, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

I moved to Bratislava end of March,

the car cost me all the money I had left.

I'm divorced and we made a deal with my ex-husband

that our daughter, 14 at the time,

would stay in Orava for now

while I'd visit her every weekend.

Not being able to afford a new car made it especially painful.

My name's Tomáš and I'm a cook.

My Skoda Octavia was stolen.

I'm Ingrid and I work in a restaurant.

My Peugeot was stolen.

My name's Adam and I'm an IT technician.

My Skoda Octavia was stolen.

My name's Jan, I'm retired but still assist in construction work.

My Peugeot 406 was stolen.

I'm Eva, I'm a concert artist and teach art,

My Peugeot 206 was stolen.

My name's Peter, I'm a businessman, my Seat Alhambra was stolen.

I'm Lukáš, I'm from Bratislava and my Volkswagen CC was stolen.

My name's Stanislava, I'm a special education teacher.

Our Skoda Octavia was stolen.

When I called my daughter, she burst into tears...

DAGMAR CAR THEFT VICTIM

...pleading, 'Mum, what are you going to do?

How are we going to see each other before I finally come to Bratislava?'

So on top of everything, I had to comfort my daughter,

reassuring her we'd find a way and make it.

It was really incredibly hard for me.

Control centre 1000 to all road patrols.

Passenger car Volkswagen Passat

Grey in colour, license plate KE 900 LA.

The vehicle was...

754 to Control centre 1000. I pursue the suspect vehicle

down Štefánikova street to downtown.

754 to Control centre 1000. Car check negative. Search to continue.

At the police station, I was told that if the car isn't found within a week...

LUKÁŠ CAR THEFT VICTIM

...I might as well forget about it.

There's very little chance it would be found,

I'd win the lottery before getting my car back.

No matter your status in life,

whether you're a lawyer, a doctor, an IT guy, or a cook,

once you park your car on the street and someone really needs it

and has the know-how, it's gone.

We're all equal then.

If there were any real justice, some things wouldn't happen.

I never gave much thought to the car owners;

thieves only care about the make of the cars,

not the lives of the people.

There was demand for various cars, not just one specific model.

But once we knew we could sell four or five cars and had the choice,

in addition, some brands always sell well, like Audi,

so we'd go on a random hunt, just scouting.

Often, we didn't find what we wanted,

but we'd always picked up something.

Even if it just stood aside afterwards.

There was a time when I'd say

-we already had euros, I wasn't that young anymore-

well, I told a girl once that

if I were to get 3,000 euros a month

to get up at 5 a.m., start at Kia Motors at 6,

and just go home after the shift, I wouldn't do it.

Back then, it was a lot of money, people didn't make that much.

And I had it two-three times a week.

The judge was driving a car I stole.

He showed up laughing, saying, 'That's the one you brought me.'

I hear there's a new gang now, some young guys,

but I don't know much about them.

I'm old school. Back in my day, things were different.

These guys are different, younger, with better equipment these days,

and with the right gear and expertise, they can do it in a couple of seconds.

- Mikulík speaking, hello. - I'm calling about the Mercedes seat.

- Is it still available? - Yes, it is, we have it here.

All goods are in-person pickup only, if you want it, you have to come over.

Alright, I'll come in the afternoon, if that suits you.

- Send me the address via SMS. - I will, to this number.

There's one more thing, my wife hit the bumper

on an older Citroen C5, a 2006, I think. Any chance you have one in stock?

Well, I'm not sure offhand, but I'll check and call you back.

- Great, thanks. - It shouldn't be a problem, though.

It happened a month ago.

This is how we found out:

the car was parked in a parking lot while we were away.

After a week, when we got back the car was gone.

All we found was an empty parking space,

broken glass on the ground, and a damaged lock.

On August 14 at night,

I was at work for a big company event.

I came home at 1:30 a.m.

and found the garage empty.

It was a shock, of course,

a massive shock.

I never imagined anyone breaking into my garage.

It's attached to the house.

So he entered my house.

He must've found the key hook inside. He must've known.

He just knew where to look for the keys.

It all took about 5 minutes.

Within 5 minutes, they came to our yard and left with the car.

You can't figure out a stranger's place in just five minutes.

He must've thoroughly cased the place.

- Mikulík speaking. - Hello.

- We got the Citroen bumper you wanted. - Wonderful.

- You can pick it up. - Great, thanks.

I can't pinpoint the exact date,

it was probably sometime during my 2-week holiday

and a week after I got back.

I didn't find the car where I'd parked it.

I'd been saving it for my son, who was to turn 18 soon;

He was just getting his license and I planned to pass it on to him.

So I had it all sorted out,

all the checks, a brand new battery,

It was really all tricked out.

Maybe the guy found out about it somehow.

My girlfriend came home and asked, 'Where's your car?'

'You're home all the time?' Why? I'm home, the car is downstairs.

'It's not.' I said, just get your glasses, and you'll see it there.

Then I went out for a smoke, and from the balcony I see,

'indeed, I have no car.'

Now, I'd never been in such situation, like, who do I call?

So I called the police.

They said, 'Okay, let's write it up at the police station.'

Then all night we spent printing leaflets with my car on it,

pointing out the scratches it had so it could be identified.

We printed maybe 50 of them, and roamed around the town until 4 a.m.

putting them up on doors and walls, should anyone see it.

Nobody ever called me, not at all.

On July 10, a young family with two children lost their old but reliable car.

It was stolen in the morning in Žilina's Hájik housing estate.

In Lučenec, a man left his parked car only to find it gone upon return.

In broad daylight, his 3-year-old car, worth about 15,000 euros, was stolen.

A white Skoda Superb was stolen in Gelnica housing estate on June 6.

The perpetrators vanished without a trace.

The older car was parked directly in front of a family home.

Yet, only an empty space remained.

Two masked men stole a car in less than 3 minutes.

With a clear target, ignoring other cars they headed to the alley where we parked.

ANDREJ ZAVŘEL INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

I have information about them. For a while now, we've been tracking their activities,

and monitoring cars disappearing from Bratislava.

I have clues as to where the cars go and who's behind it.

These guys are young, aged between 22 and 30.

They're a bigger bunch with others pulling the strings.

The ringleader is a guy named Mikulík

who also introduced these other guys to the business.

He oversees the sales,

what to steal, where to take it, where to sell, where to disassemble.

And he's the customer contact.

His right-hand man is Smrek,

nicknamed Smretcho, the Spruce,

coordinating with him on major issues.

The other guys are Patrik Dula and Branislav Hrušovský aka Hruška, the Pear.

They are more like grunts, I'd say, guys for simple jobs,

they go pick up the cars to take them from point A to point B.

This group of four is the most visible,

but a much larger operation likely exists in the background.

Ultimately, all depends on what the police is able to uncover and prosecute.

These offenders are younger than those in earlier car gangs.

VÁCLAV VOJAČEK INVESTIGATOR

They're a different generation, with a distinct mindset,

a distinct experience and knowledge from their elders back then.

The difference may be that they have a more refined grasp

of how to do the work, cover the tracks,

pass on the loot and all that.

They likely learn also from the elders,

see what was different, what went wrong, what to improve.

With this combined knowledge they simply perform better.

A few months later, I received a call from the investigator.

He didn't say it outright, but somehow I sensed it.

These very same guys stole my car, too.

It was even on the news later.

They reported about the Leopoldov gang,

which had stolen around 26 cars.

I still hope to find the car. Maybe somewhere online.

Or on some shared community page.

The owner parked his car here for just a few minutes.

It was still enough for the thief to steal it.

Organized car gangs export the cars out of Slovakia.

There's a rumour about a Car Phantom operating in Leopoldov.

Everyone knew who he was; the police knew, the prosecutor knew.

Yet, he had free rein.

He was said to enjoy protection from high-ranking officials

because he has certain information. Thus, he could do as he pleased.

So in theory, there may be a connection,

a motivation to get a lavish life

by relatively quick and easy car thefts.

We were legendary and we had it all.

We had money, girls, cars, apartments.

PHANTOM CAR THIEF

You name it! We lived like...

not sure how to put it, totally off the charts.

These little guys wanted... Everyone wants to have a good life.

Today, there're such youngsters, but the business changed.

Back then, you'd make your cash and blow it all.

You'd cop some new gear, go on holiday, a football match.

A Real Madrid game in a private jet, crazy shit, right?

You'd make it all back tomorrow if you needed to.

Opportunities were plenty, waiting to be seized.

It's basically like going to work.

Not like doing something wrong anymore; just a job like any other.

But a regular gig, that's a 9-5 job,

with this you're done in 20 minutes, start to finish.

Just as many people normalize daily working hours...

SYLVIA DANČIAKOVÁ CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST

...and saving money,

so do these individuals normalize their activities.

It's a form of normalization.

These people are primed for wanting everything much faster.

For them, it's a regular job, a means to an end

that allows them to quickly satisfy their motivations.

Everyone in this game made serious cash.

Once you rake it in, well, all have vices, 'normal' is rare.

So, all kinds of stories come out about those folks,

different kinds, for sure.

There was this really smart guy, he ended up dead in a creek.

Maybe he robbed some wrong guy, don't know, but he was a sharp cookie.

Nobody knows you exist, so you must live like that.

Showing off, you're on top one day and at the bottom the next.

What's the point, really?

In the evening after work, Ms. Daniela parked her car here.

The next morning, she was in for a shock.

I came 8:45 AM, ready to go to work,

but my car was not where I'd parked it.

She immediately called the police, who secured the scene for evidence.

This is a more complex case, it suggests careful planning.

They must have understood the system, clearly knew how it works.

MICHAL JUHÁSZ CRIMINAL AND EXPERTISE INSTITUTE

They broke into the car mechanically,

by brute force, by using a key or a jammer.

Once inside, they started overriding the car's electronic security.

They'd set up a sophisticated system to mimic the immobilizer,

opened the hood and accessed the engine compartment.

They took out the original control unit

and replaced it with an identical one along with the bypass immobilizer.

Our findings show that the offenders focus on specific vehicle models.

LAST YEAR, MOST CARS WERE STOLEN IN TAHANOVCE AND KVP

Primary targets were Skoda Fabia, Skoda Octavia, and Volkswagen Golf.

Nine such cars disappeared in total.

I know they stole more cars around the time they took mine.

The investigator mentioned that Octavias had been stolen.

Skodas are the most frequent targets of car thefts.

It is the most frequently stolen car make,

so all Skoda owners should be vigilant.

In this country, people want Skodas, Volkswagens, Audis.

Those cars are in demand.

Some people want French ones, but that's a very narrow group.

Japanese cars don't break, nobody want them.

So, there are the type of cars in demand.

Today, certain cars are easier to steal.

A car theft took longer back then.

You had to pick the lock, have a key made.

You spent a short time at the car, but making the key took time.

Nowadays, with these keyless cars,

the keyless entry systems and all this,

you can drive away within 5 seconds.

The more valuable the car, the easier it is to steal.

Now, high-end cars have the Keyless Go, so you can steal anything.

But they added this sleeping key fob,

so if the key doesn't move a while, the rod can't snatch the signal.

The fishing rod repeater amplifies the car key signal.

SENEC SOPHISTICATED CAR THEFT METHOD

You have a key, your car's a keyless go, the key's in your pocket.

As you walk away, I follow behind with a receiver.

My buddy's standing at your car, the one we want to steal,

and I just boost the key signal,

the car thinks it's there with my buddy,

it unlocks, he jumps in, starts it, and takes off.

The theft innovation comes from the West, where such cars are most common.

Two hooded thieves approach the house holding a relay frame.

Inside, the owner is asleep, the remote left in the hallway.

Normally, the remote must be within a meter of the car.

The frame has a reader to boost the signal,

so they open the car from meters away.

Another thief gets in, drives off, and the men with the frame run off.

Technically, you don't steal at all, since there's no forced entry.

If stopped by cops, it was started, so what?

However, once turned off, the engine won't restart. You need jammers.

But the jammers block everything nearby, nobody lock or unlocks a car.

It's a mess. The car must leave right away.

You must remove the radio module, and don't see or hear a thing,

everything's on the radio, it has to go, so it doesn't transmit.

Then, you find the LoJack right away, but with those GSM devices,

they're small, don't even need power, they're hard to find.

So it's too much trouble.

When I finally came to myself, I realized how much it challenged our daily life.

STANISLAVA CAR THEFT VICTIM

My husband travels for work a lot,

We have a prematurely born daughter with disability and multiple diagnoses,

back then not yet able to walk,

we took her to various therapies, drove back and forth a lot.

It dawned on us we were in deep trouble.

With a child not able to walk, we needed the car.

It was a necessity.

So, you face a dilemma: Should you buy a car?

Or spend the money on therapies and rehabilitation

to help the child walk,

help the child make further progress.

A lot of questions about what to do next.

Those are morons! They have it coming, though.

You just don't do such things; it's not right.

As a thief, you must have your honour. If you don't, you're just a dickhead.

That's it. Case closed.

If a cop catches you robbing a disabled person, what do you think will happen?

Nobody likes that.

But being caught with a car of some German asshole,

whose insurance pays for it, he doesn't even want it back,

it's a different story.

I once nicked an Alhambra or a Multivan,

and when I had a look inside

it had 7 seats, 3 had child seats.

So I filled up the car because the tank was almost empty

and parked it at the police station, so they found it right away.

You have to look at it this way: God is watching sometimes.

You just act in a way that makes everyone happy.

Com'on, you don't leave a poor guy with 3 kids on foot.

When an Austrian came, we rejoiced.

After all, his insurance paid for it, and no one was harmed, really.

It even seemed to me they brought those cars here on purpose.

I mean, often we were literally waiting for them at the border,

slowly following them, you need just 10 seconds;

he takes a piss at the gas station, and you can finish it off there.

Once, we accidentally took a car of a local teacher.

I even remembered her. She had kids' tests inside.

Of course, we returned the car along with the tests.

Well, these things happen. It's a two-way street.

Mistakes happen, like at any other job, so you just return it.

I couldn't help but wonder,

had I parked somewhere else, would this have happened?

Most people end up with the feeling,

I could've parked it better.

I could've been more careful.

I should've installed a better security system.

I should've used a secure parking lot

or I should've gotten a garage.

But essentially it's not related at all.

I did have this 'what if' in my head.

But the person, the actual victim, takes such incident

as a real invasion, crossing of boundaries.

Often, it's a very wounding and painful experience.

I know now that anyone at any time can enter my house.

The garage entry he used to get in is actually glass doors.

He can do it to me anytime.

To them, it's something so unimaginable

that somebody did that to them,

they often become anxious or even blame themselves; they become depressed.

I know what I'm talking about as I experienced it myself.

I had my car stolen, as well.

As far as cover-ups are concerned,

especially related to car theft gangs, generally speaking...

ANDREJ ZAVŘEL INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

...it can't be done without someone having your back,

be it the police or prosecutor's office.

I dare say nobody commits such crimes without protection,

whether for gratitude or money.

We have to bear in mind people will do anything for money.

As history shows us, there are convicted people,

accused and convicted judges

who sold million-dollar cases for phones or handbags.

So I'd argue this kind of crime is always covered up.

And always will be. Without it you can't do it for long.

If over 100 cars vanish in Bratislava in a short time, the police have to act.

These people are well-connected, with friends of friends in high places.

So it can't be swept under the rug, the police must act. It's their job.

I know many of the officers.

They strive to ensure the offenders are convicted or prosecuted

and the cars found, unless they've been dismantled, sold or blown up.

I think police, mainly young officers, are ambitious and want to act head-on.

The car-theft issue was really severe.

Many cars stolen, few found or solved.

VÁCLAV VOJAČEK INVESTIGATOR

The newcomers wanted to prove themselves,

gain ground, and improve the situation.

They got together and pooled ideas to systematically confront the issues.

The most valuable asset of the enterprise is the mastermind, the most skilled thief.

It's the group's most precious member.

He knows how to open the car, start it,

and, essentially, he then hands it over to a 'driver' to transport it.

If the police catch someone, it's often the less attractive driver.

The mastermind keeps hands clean, not involved in the transportation.

It's all very natural.

You find your crew, people you actually spend your whole life with...

PHANTOM CAR THIEF

...walking the same path together.

If the cops catch one of them, you can sleep at night

knowing he won't rat you out. He knows the same about you.

If some DNA is found somewhere, he won't say you he was with you,

but, let's say, that it got mixed up or something like that.

At the end of the day, you realize...

You can count real pals on one hand.

You know, someone had to return the car, someone had to bury it, like a funeral.

It's all a machine, like a factory.

A regular living organism that you feed those cars and the others live off that.

All do well, if they are loyal to you and you loyal to them.

So if I'm caught, I say nothing, if they're caught, they say nothing.

No problems, no questions. You find out when problems come.

All the guys who stayed and had a problem acted in a way that we're still friends.

In 2018, the highest number of car thefts was reported in the Bratislava region.

Same as in previous years.

The fewest thefts were reported in Banská Bystrica and Prešov areas.

I really don't know, we have no clues, no idea at all.

My husband and I think the car was taken for parts,

Beyond the border, it's most probably about spare parts.

Every details is mapped out,

how to arrive, where, what to take, where to take it, how to dismantle it,

and all the next steps.

The demand may be for an entire car,

which means it's stolen and hidden immediately at an unknown location.

Or there's a demand for spare parts,

in which case the car goes to a location where it's promptly dismantled.

For example, sawed apart or similar.

They're either dismantled or sold intact.

When dismantled, they yield more profit.

It's a more lucrative business.

It's also more labour-intensive, they need to have a special workshop,

They have the equipment and the know-how,

they know how to trade them, so the parts go to specific customers.

We found them quite easily, browsing online for spare parts.

JURAJ SPARE PARTS DEALER

On various advertising portals, we discovered their listings,

contacted them and the cooperation began.

We called about a specific part, and they confirmed they had it.

When we needed an engine, we went to check it in person.

They were very easy-going about it.

Gradually, we even became friends. It all worked on friendly terms.

Whenever we bought something, they'd toss in a gift, like a radio unit.

We bought all sorts of parts from them,

engines, transmissions, seats, other interior components...

Basically, anything we needed.

Interestingly enough, they could dismantle the cars in basic models

into spare parts in 52 minutes, within an hour.

Down to the last component.

They had their special procedures to access the engine control unit.

MICHAL JUHÁSZ CRIMINAL AND EXPERTISE INSTITUTE

They had multiple immobilizer bypasses tailored for different car models.

Nicking a new Mercedes today is really challenging.

All parts have microchips unique to the particular car.

Let's say, you want to change a light or any electronics,

you install it and have to tune it for the car to work with it.

And it immediately shows them the part is from a stolen car.

We've got guys to work around it software-wise, but it's a real hassle.

I was hopeful my car would be found.

Each time the investigator called with an update,

I secretly hoped for good news.

But then I was told the engine was found

outside of Slovakia, somewhere in Hungary.

My hopes were dashed then.

I had a hunch where it may come from

Sometimes you tell yourself maybe it's from a broken car,

or rear-ended with the front end being sold off.

I'm sure there were such cases,

but there were also many stolen cars.

I've seen many of those cars taken apart,

and noticed they weren't crashed, burned, or drowned.

They were clearly stolen, dismantled, and sold off.

The prices were interesting to us right from the start,

before we got to know each other better.

There was a significant difference in prices in regular stores

and those offered by them.

There were savings that even made the trip worthwhile.

They're being monitored and already had a close call once.

They got interrupted trying to steal a car in Bratislava's Karlova Ves,

while scoping out the parking lot for the night's action.

Police of the Slovak Republic, I'm listening.

Hello, I'm calling from home.

From my balcony, I see a suspicious man around our cars,

he's wandering about, peeking inside...

They fled the scene last minute, just before the patrol arrived.

In this particular case, the perpetrator wasn't caught,

neither in the act of stealing a car, nor driving it away.

This was a turning point for the police, too,

prompting them to intensify efforts and increase vigilance,

particularly in the suburban districts of Bratislava.

Things started to add up,

and after this close shave, their self-esteem plummeted.

Fear set in, fights among them.

It was just a matter of time before they made a mistake.

The electronic toll collection system on our highways

is operated by the National Motorway Company.

Everyone knows that when driving on the highway with no toll paid,

the system records the vehicle and a fine is issued.

The route was recorded from Karlova Ves along the Bratislava bypass

in direction of Trnava, or possibly Hlohovec and Leopoldov.

The car gang suspects were intercepted

and monitored from point A to point B,

all the way from the theft site to its final destination. More or less.

The police left nothing to chance,

not to be caught off guard and allow the suspects to escape,

and to prevent a potential shootout, God forbid,

as to my information, some of the boys had a criminal history.

They spent a year on the group, watching them,

monitoring all their activities,

and it all culminated in that big police raid.

It was a truly large-scale operation.

For our District Police Department it was unusually large.

The sheer number of police force involved

exceeds by far and large the capacity of our district headquarters.

So, we can really call it a major event.

It was truly massive.

One of the largest operations I've ever experienced.

Around 250 policemen were involved,

including the SWAT team and a helicopter.

So, yes, the action was extensive.

Given the 11 targets, at least 11 teams were assembled.

Now, each team was equipped with five to seven vehicles,

the exact number based on the individual targets.

So this entire convoy set off from here to Hlohovec.

We could not fit in everyone, the cars had nowhere to park.

It was a challenging logistics.

Importantly, the assigned officers

didn't know their target that morning.

We had to coordinate that all strike at the same time.

The Lynx commando was deployed,

as it was a rather big operation.

MÁRIO LYNX COUNTER TERRORISM UNIT

The investigators didn't want to underestimate anything

and called upon the best trained unit within the Slovak Police Force.

Team Alpha to OK1: We arrived at the target location.

We're entering a family house.

A non-invasive entry.

Team Bravo. We're on site. Enter block 7, 4th floor.

OK1 to all units: Proceed with caution.

The culprits may be armed and dangerous.

Team Bravo. We're on the roof, moving to window on 4th floor.

Roger.

Approaching the garage. Three subjects confirmed on the premises.

Suspects confirmed. Awaiting the signal.

For me, the most surprising aspect of this operation

was the perpetrator himself.

Seeing him, I'd never have guessed

he was involved in an organized car ring.

It was a father of a small child,

there were toys scattered around the living room.

A perfectly normal guy. I'd never have guessed.

That impression probably stuck with me the most.

Police! Hands on your face!

Secure! Secure! Cuff! Cuff!

Have a look at Monday's massive raid in western Slovakia.

Several persons were detained by the SWAT team.

The Hlohovec car gang is suspect of two years of property crimes,

stealing cars in various parts of Bratislava,

sawing them apart, dismantling, and trading the parts.

Over 200 police officers were involved from Bratislava,

as well as from Trnava, Nitra, Trenčín, and Banská Bystrica.

Countdown initiated: ram in 2, window breach in 1.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

- Police! - One.

Family members often bear the brunt.

One memory stands out in my mind:

a crying woman sweeping up shards from a broken entry point,

from a shattered window.

It was rather sad.

The family members, sadly, often aren't the ones at fault.

My daughters surely will learn what person I was before they were born.

Not sure when and if I or my wife will tell them.

My guess is they'll find out from someone else,

and I'll have to explain it to them, then.

I'd much rather tell them at the age 18 or 19,

once they've matured a bit.

Anyway, I'll wait and see what I say when the time comes.

Now, I've been home...

I can't even count it properly... Let's see:

The girls will be five, plus nine months,

it makes seven years soon.

When you've stolen many cars without getting caught,

neither by the police nor anybody else,

you start to feel confident.

You think you're irreplaceable, untouchable, and so on.

Then, mistakes start happening.

Many cars were seized, a lot of evidence, many control units,

many car components, a lot of cash.

Based on my sources, one of the houses contained a woman's wardrobe

valued at ten thousand euros.

Apparently, all the money was obtained through criminal activities

and used to purchase lavish gifts for a girlfriend, so to say.

Four accused men are currently in pre-trial detention.

The judge will rule on their detention in the coming days.

Car gangs will well remember 2018,

as they're now being hunted not only by the police

but also by over 130,000 HAKA-app users.

ŠTEFAN FARKAŠ HEAD OF HAKA CSO

I think the arrest caught them off guard.

Conversely, not so many stolen vehicles would've been found,

they would've covered up tracks.

In the raid, the police seized an incredible number of 29 cars,

dozens of car radios with GPS, control units, gadgets and spare parts.

Various stealing gear was seized, including jammers.

I was mainly shocked at the amount of the material seized,

the amount of evidence at the scene.

I mean a large number of car keys and various components.

I remember a whole dashboard and various lights.

Twenty-nine cars were seized.

Along with engines and various car parts,

control units, and other items from dismantled vehicles.

VÁCLAV VOJAČEK INVESTIGATOR

There were hundreds of them; it was impossible to count.

Additionally, we seized USB drives and mobile phones

to find any communications or electronic data

that could provide further evidence

and help us prove the criminal activity.

In my entire career, I've never encountered a situation

with such a vast amount of evidence for analysis in a single case.

There were so many car parts to be identified and analyzed

that all three Slovak institutes had to evenly divide the workload

to ensure a timely completion within the case deadline.

Based on what we discovered and on the vehicle samples,

the perpetrators likely operated across Slovak borders.

The number of people here was really huge.

There were four days straight of intensive work

We can't afford any downtime, having legal deadlines to keep.

To manage it all, we calculated that during the operation,

let's say, in the two most hectic days,

12 kg of coffee were consumed just to go keep up going.

Once the action started, within a month we found further locations,

and examined the premises.

thus, we managed to find four more cars.

In total, 34 cars were seized.

Then on August 29, I could hardly contain myself.

A policewoman called me saying she had some good news.

I wondered what good news it could possibly be.

She told me they'd found my car and I had to sit down

and started screaming,

'Good news? This is good news? This is absolutely great!'

Well, I'm one of the lucky ones whose car the police found.

I got a call from the police that my car was found.

At first, I couldn't believe it was really mine,

after such a long time, after six months.

It was a feeling I can maybe compare to winning the lottery.

I don't know what that feels like, but I think it's similar.

I was out with two plastic bags, you know, eggs, milk...

and suddenly I get a call, a bunch of ones or zeros,

OK, must be the cops with some new information.

'We found your vehicle,' they say. And I, 'are you kidding me?'

We received an official letter, it said the investigation was closed.

The car was not found.

Right after our report, a businessman from eastern Slovakia called us.

He was touched by Mrs Stanka's story.

We put them in touch and the outcome is truly remarkable.

As of today, Mrs Stanka's family can enjoy this four-wheel gift.

We met, they gave our girls, Noemi and Ali, some small gifts.

And then they gave us a car!

The third car that arrived was for us.

That was another shock; such people really do exist?

They'd noticed our story and gifted us a car!

I guess this doesn't happen very often.

It's so unbelievable, we call it a Christmas miracle.

No, my car was never recovered.

I wish all those who do this would pay for it.

No cooperation could be established.

They wouldn't testify, confess, give any account.

From start to finish, they denied the charges.

We had to arduously prove the case without the help of the accused.

Throughout the entire investigation, they refused to cooperate.

They just maintained their denial.

The accused had a defense attorney

at every stage of the proceedings...

TOMÁŠ HERMAN CRIMINAL LAWYER

...and were undoubtedly advised to remain silent.

Initially, they remained silent about the incident,

didn't testify, didn't want to talk at all.

Two of them were really broken by what was happening there.

I also heard that one of them struggled a lot in detention.

Pre-trial custody often has an impact

on the mental health of the accused.

The presumption of innocence applies and they may still hope for acquittal.

One seemed to be on the fence about whether to say something,

he even started to cooperate but then withdrew again.

If one of the defendants decided to cooperate with law enforcement

testify and possibly become a so-called repentant defendant,

it could be aggravating for the others.

Based on the information available, we were able to prove

that those remanded into custody influenced those who remained at liberty,

and other potential witnesses.

They affected their decisions whether or not to testify and how.

OFFICIAL WIRETAP RECORD 2212 / 11_01_2019

I've read the file, man, it's all set up against me!

If some idiot talks some more, I'm screwed.

I can't really talk on the phone...

That Smretcho bitch was talking shit

about us doing the Mercedes.

Do me a favour, I need you to nix it.

I get it, a scent trail.

Don't talk shit on the phone!

All right, Gabi, anything you need. I'll sort it out.

Consider it done. No worries.

Except for calls between the accused and their defense counsel

all other phone calls are recorded.

They are audio-recorded, and in case of suspected obstruction or if needed

the recordings are transcribed and added to the court file.

We were able to substantiate this easily.

Two or three months after their detention, based on this evidence,

the prosecutor filed a motion for a preventive custody.

This type of custody is very strict, no communication or visitors allowed,

unless we grant such privilege.

Given that we could demonstrate their active influence on witnesses

or uncharged co-suspects at liberty,

the court granted our request

and converted the custody to a preventive measure.

I hereby open the proceedings in criminal case 2 PV 21/17/1104-263.

The court states 5-day preparation period was observed

and all parties to the proceedings are present and legally instructed.

I request the district prosecutor to present the indictment.

Pursuant to Criminal Procedure Code § 234(1),

I hereby file charges against R. Mikulík, A. Smrek, M. Dula, and B. Hrušovský,

residing at the Correctional Facility at Chorvátska St. 5

on suspicion of committing the crime of theft.

The established facts suggest that the accused engaged in unlawful conduct

by stealing 24 properly parked and locked motor vehicles,

causing total damages of substantial amount of 164,417 euros.

The criminal activity will mainly be proven by witness statements

along with the seized stolen motor vehicles and parts,

expert opinions, searches of homes and non-residential premises,

the crime scene inspections, and further evidence in the investigation file.

None of the accused confessed to the criminal activity,

denying any involvement in the theft of motor vehicles.

Accordingly, for all accused I propose the maximum sentence of 10 years.

In the end, at the first hearing, they all made statements.

The defendants wish to make a plea under Criminal Procedure Code § 257

not denying committing the acts charged in the indictment.

Defendants, you have the option to plead guilty,

not guilty or no contest to the indictment.

All defendants refused to cooperate with law enforcement,

to testify and assist in the investigation of the criminal activities.

They decided to plead guilty at the main hearing,

which is indeed a very crafty tactic.

I plead guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

Guilty.

De facto, they confessed to the charges.

and only the sentence length was to be decided.

A guilty plea is considered an expression of remorse

an admission of guilt,

which may result in a reduced sentence.

The prosecution identified 29 victims,

but unofficially the talk is of hundreds of vehicles.

However, what matters is not what law enforcement knows or claims,

but rather what it can prove.

Strangely enough, they weren't recognized as an organized group,

despite the fact that four persons were involved and it was proven

they collaborated, did all of it together

and we speak of a group already with two or three people.

They were at least four, four ended up charged and indicted.

Not being considered a group notably reduced their offense term.

Clearly, this was an organized group

with individual roles assigned

such as a thief, starter, driver, parts dealer, and dismantlers.

ŠTEFAN FARKAŠ HEAD OF HAKA CSO

Then, specific tasks were assigned as to who dismantles the cars,

who arranges for scrap disposal and through whom.

When you cut up cars, there's scrap to be disposed of.

Then, there were persons responsible for sales and distribution.

JURAJ GAVALEC DEFENSE ATTORNEY OF THE ACCUSED

Contrary to what you suggest in the media,

the indictment doesn't imply that a group was involved.

The indictment doesn't provide evidence the accused acted as an organized group.

This may be due to insufficient evidence gathered during preliminary proceedings

which would identify the task division or a clear hierarchy.

Thus, it was not part of the indictment.

All rise, please.

The court pronounces the judgment on behalf of the Slovak Republic.

Defendants Roman Mikulík, Adam Smrek, Patrik Dula, Branislav Hrušovský

are found guilty of all counts of the indictment.

For this they are sentenced as follows...

The defendant Roman Mikulík, pursuant to § 212(3)...

It's very surprising, unfortunately, negatively so.

The sentences they got in relation to all the people they hurt are quite sad.

They should have faced harsh consequences.

I'm not happy with the decision and never will be.

Two got off with probation, two got two years each.

In their case, I'd say, it's almost laughable.

I had the opportunity to read a few lines of the judgment,

and I guess everyone must see what this is all about.

Yet again, it shows the problem lies in the higher levels of government.

The interesting thing about this case is,

despite a months-long investigation by hundreds of police officers,

the case was wrapped up in court in a matter of weeks.

Thieves often receive outrageously lenient sentences

while the compensation victims receive is minimal.

Often, people can't even seek justice

as the thieves are so cunning that, on paper, they appear to be homeless.

I'm very disappointed about the judge's approach

and the lenient sentences for them.

The public might perceive prosecutor's failure to appeal

as strange or unfair.

It's difficult to assess his reasoning, though.

He's entitled to waive the right to appeal.

Maybe he was concerned about the burden of proof at the main hearing

given the 5,000-page investigation file.

Or just adhered to the principle 'justice delayed is justice denied.'

I don't know what to think about it.

In a few months, they'll be released. Well, then, anyone can do that.

This must change, definitely.

It can't work like this.

Prison may change many people;

and some may change to the worse.

It's up to each of those guys whether they're able to live normally.

As said, the car business is lucrative.

Let's face it: it's quick money for relatively little work.

Of course, there are risks involved, but look at the penalties.

They're not that severe, so those people will always be tempted.

To be honest, I'm not sure whether there's hope

that they integrate into mainstream life.

They were able to hurt so many people

with no regard for the pain and damage they cause

I'm rather sceptical about that.

The number of stolen cars compared before and after the action shows

the figures in the Bratislava IV district decreased by 80 %.

Statistics also indicate a marked decrease across all of Bratislava, of course,

and the situation has remained relatively stable since.

This suggests a long-term effect. Up to now...

PRESENT DAY

More alternative punishments, fewer years behind bars,

and lower penalties for property crimes.

These are promises of the amended Penal Code designed by minister Karas.

The amendments in the field of criminal law

that you are about to vote on

represent the most significant changes in the current penal policy of our state.

If the amended Penal Code is passed in its current form...

TOMÁŠ HERMAN INDEPENTENT LAWYER

...this type of offenders might get away with even lower sentences.

The revised penalty rates could motivate car gangs to commit crime,

since most motor vehicles are worth less than 30,000 euros,

which is the new threshold under the proposed amendment.

At the same time, in case of a suspended prison sentence

the chance of a damage compensation for the victim is much higher,

as this obligation usually is a part of the sentencing remedy.

LUKÁŠ NEW CAR GANG VICTIM

My name is Lukas, I'm a security officer and I was sold a dodgy Audi jigsaw.

I purchased the car on January 29, 2024.

I learnt the car was assembled from multiple components.

from my mechanic specialized in repairing such vehicles.

To my shock, I learned that the dealer

was a member of the Leopoldov car gang.

Even after the whole raid and court they still find the audacity

to continue deceiving people in this way.