Two men arrested: scooter theft under the influence of drugs in Düren!

Two men arrested: scooter theft under the influence of drugs in Düren!

On the night of July 12, 2025, there was an attempted scooter theft in Düren, which caused quite a stir. At around 2:45 a.m., an alert witness noticed two men trying to steal a scooter. Her alarming activities, carrying the scooter away and trying to short-circuit it, left the witness no peace. She immediately informed the police, who quickly launched a search. A few minutes later, the two suspects, a 21-year-old and a 22-year-old, were arrested near the crime scene. Both men were under the influence of alcohol and drugs, which didn't make their crime any easier. The Aachen public prosecutor's office immediately ordered blood tests to determine the extent of her condition, and one of the perpetrators is also known to the police. He was brought before a judge on the same day. The damaged scooter could be returned to the owner that night, which at least alleviated the matter somewhat.

The motivations behind such acts are varied. A similar situation occurred with a 41-year-old who was looking for a stolen scooter with his mother. The man was charged with attempted theft and was also under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he tried to steal the scooter. He did not have a valid driver's license, which made the punishment even worse. It is disturbing to see how often such incidents are linked to drugs and alcohol in the region. Such behavior often has far-reaching consequences, both for the perpetrators themselves and for those affected.

The numbers speak for themselves

A look at the Germany-wide crime statistics shows that theft is a common problem. In 2022, around 1.78 million thefts were recorded by the police in Germany, which represents a significant increase compared to previous years. North Rhine-Westphalia is no exception, with over 23,500 residential burglaries in 2022, accounting for more than 35% of all cases in the federal states. The clearance rate for residential burglaries is only 16.1%, which shows the challenge that police and investigative authorities face.

The phenomenon of rising crime is a serious issue that concerns not only the police. Last year there were around 344,669 reported shoplifting incidents, while the number of thefts from or in motor vehicles is also alarmingly high at 235,732 cases. Incidents such as the attempted scooter theft in Düren contribute to the complexity of this issue and illustrate how important education and prevention are in society.

Overall, it is clear that the problem of theft remains high and the perpetrators are often confronted with personal challenges that are only exacerbated by drug and alcohol consumption. At a time when crime is on the rise again, it is important to remain vigilant as a community and report such incidents.