Thief snatches a senior's purse during travels, the culprit being unidentified on Interstate Commerce.
On September 2, 2025, a 22-year-old male suspect was provisionally arrested at Hamburg Central Station by federal police officers for a handbag theft on an ICE train traveling from Hannover to Hamburg.
The incident occurred when an elderly woman (76) from Baden-Württemberg briefly left her handbag unattended on the train. A suspect, known to the Hamburg Federal Police for previous property crimes, seized the opportunity and quickly stole the handbag.
The theft was reported by a train attendant just before the train's arrival at track 13. Two patrol teams of the Federal Police immediately reached the platform and were able to receive the arriving ICE. The suspect was found on the train and had to be transported to the Federal Police Station in restraints.
Upon investigation, the majority of the stolen items (wallet, driver's license, EC card, phone, health insurance card, medication) were found in the suspect's backpack and in the trash can in the train WC by the federal police officers. A criminal investigation (suspected theft) has been initiated.
The suspect was causing a disturbance in the detention cell and had to be remanded to the detention center. Further investigations are ongoing and will be conducted by the investigative service of the Federal Police Inspectorate Hamburg.
The elderly woman was clearly shaken by the incident but was able to recover her essential medication. The couple, who were the victims of the theft, were able to continue their journey after the federal police measures were completed.
The press office of the Federal Police Inspectorate Hamburg issued a warning to travelers: stay vigilant and never leave handbags and carried luggage unattended in moving trains. Additional prevention tips can be found at www.bundespolizei.de.
For inquiries, contact Press Spokesperson Police Chief Commissioner Rüdiger Carstens, Mobile 0172/4052 741, Email: [email protected], Website: www.bundespolizei.de, Bundespolizeiinspektion Hamburg, Wilsonstraße 49 - 53b, 22045 Hamburg.
A prior incident involving a theft of cash from a handbag on August 22, 2025, in Kronach, where two 14-year-old girls attended a fair ride; one briefly set down her bag, and afterward, 30 euros were missing from it, but no suspect was identified yet. The victim support officer of the Federal Police Inspectorate Hamburg will contact the victim to offer appropriate support.
