- Thieves stole a BMW M4 and a Ford Mustang from a garage in Biberist SO – the damage amounts to 135,000 francs.
- Two cars were also stolen in Subingen SO on the same night. One of them was used as a “battering ram” in Biberist.
- According to Fedpol, there have been at least 116 garage break-ins across Switzerland since the beginning of 2026; A national task force led by Fedpol and the Zurich cantonal police is supposed to dismantle the networks.
- According to the Federal Police, organized groups from French banlieues who recruit minors via Snapchat, Tiktok or Telegram are behind the crimes.
Again luxury car thieves from France strike. This time it hits a business in Biberist SO: “First they stole a Mercedes in Subingen, then they used it as a battering ram in our garage,” says garage owner Thomas Küpfer to 20 Minutes. The alleged perpetrators stole a BMW M4 last Tuesday and a Ford Mustang. The damage amounts to around 135,000 francs.
By using the vehicle as a battering ram, additional damage was caused to two other cars: “They made their way to the BMW.” According to Küpfer, the perpetrators mounted stolen license plates on the cars: “The police told me that the BMW was located in Lyon after it was stolen.” As of Friday, the tracking no longer worked.
“Many garage owners are now sitting on pins and needles”
Clips from the surveillance cameras show how the thieves proceeded: Shortly before six o’clock they broke into the garage. Around 40 minutes later they left the area with the two vehicles.
Küpfer has been running the garage for five years. The incident hit him hard: “We are a small company, I put a lot of passion into building it up.” The break-in affected him emotionally: “It makes me angry and now I’m definitely more suspicious. Many garage owners I know are upgrading their security.”
“It’s like a shopping paradise for thieves”
For Küpfer, it is clear that organized structures from abroad are behind such acts: “We are 90 minutes away from the border. What leaves our country needs to be better controlled.” The garage owner is therefore calling for stricter measures at the borders: “For thieves from abroad, Switzerland is like a shopping paradise; we are essentially being milked.”
On the same night, a garage in neighboring Subingen SO was broken into. An Audi A3 and a Mercedes-Benz S-Class were stolen there: “We have had security cameras and security since 2018, but it still couldn’t be prevented.” Both vehicles were found again on the same day: “The Mercedes was just used as a battering ram in the neighboring village,” says the owner of the garage to 20 Minutes.
At least 435 burglaries in garages since 2025
“The perpetrator is currently unknown,” wrote the Solothurn cantonal police in response to a request from 20 Minutes. Whether there is a connection with perpetrator groups from France is the subject of ongoing investigations.
The federal police are also involved in these investigations: “Since 2025, at least 435 attempted break-ins and break-ins have taken place in car companies across Switzerland. At least 116 attempted break-ins and burglaries have been registered since the beginning of 2026 alone,” said media spokeswoman Miriam Knecht, Federal Office of Police Fedpol, when asked by 20 Minutes.
Groups from France recruit online
According to the Federal Police, organized groups from the banlieues of major French cities are behind the crimes. These would increasingly be on the model Crime as a Service set. Crimes are outsourced and minors or young adults are recruited via social media such as Snapchat, Tiktok or Telegram.
The recruiters lure people with amounts of money ranging from several hundred to over 10,000 euros. The actual perpetrators often have no direct contact with the clients.
Fedpol: “We have identified 300 perpetrators”
According to Fedpol, more than 300 people recruited for crimes in Switzerland have been identified since 2025, including ten Swiss young people.
The average age is 21 years old, the youngest known perpetrator was 15 years old. Fedpol warns that the amounts of money on offer are constantly increasing and that the risk of more serious crimes is also increasing.
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Flurin Pestalozzi (flu) has been working at 20 Minuten since 2025 and is a correspondent in Bern.
