Stolen Police Firearm Recovered in Hakenfelde After 15 Years
Berlin, February 6 – A police service weapon, reported stolen 15 years ago, was recovered yesterday during a search of an apartment in Hakenfelde (Spandau). The raid was conducted by officers of an operational hundred-man unit on suspicion of pharmaceutical trafficking.
According to police reports, plainclothes officers had previously noticed a car in Parkstraße at the corner of Neuendorfer Straße, where an unknown man approached the driver’s window and then left in an unknown direction. Upon checking the 26-year-old driver, a voluntary search of his car revealed several prescription-only medications, an animal repellent spray, a telescopic baton, a four-digit sum of cash, and several mobile phones.
Apartment Search Leads to Significant Discovery
At approximately 3:30 PM, police officers searched the suspect’s apartment based on a court order. During the search, they discovered further substances suspected to be pharmaceuticals, as well as a loaded handgun. A check of the firearm confirmed it was a police service weapon that had been stolen 15 years prior during a residential burglary.
The 26-year-old suspect was taken to a police detention center for identification procedures and subsequently released. The case has been taken over by a specialized department of the State Criminal Police Office for further investigation.
Other Incidents in Berlin and Brandenburg
This discovery comes amidst a series of other notable incidents across Berlin and Brandenburg. Yesterday afternoon, a tow truck caught fire on a premises in Sickingenstraße in Moabit (Mitte). Firefighters were on the scene to extinguish the blaze, and initial reports indicated no injuries.
In Rietz-Neuendorf (Oder-Spree-Kreis), a snow-clearing operation escalated into a violent neighborhood dispute. A man attempting to clear snow with a lawn tractor allegedly bumped into a woman, leading to a physical altercation. The man then reportedly grabbed a machete, intended for gardening, and injured the woman’s arm. She received hospital treatment for a cut wound, and criminal police are investigating the incident.
Separately, a 23-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle on Brunsbütteler Damm in Staaken (Spandau) yesterday evening, colliding with a parked car, which in turn hit another vehicle. The second vehicle then crashed into the wall of an apartment building. The 23-year-old suffered a laceration to the head and was treated as an outpatient. His 22-year-old passenger was hospitalized with a suspected pelvic fracture. Police found a small quantity of narcotics in the rented Audi and confiscated them. Investigations into the accident, including suspected drunk driving and illegal street racing, are ongoing.
Earlier yesterday, an 18-year-old was injured with a knife at the Treptower Park S-Bahn station following a verbal dispute on an S42 ring train. The victim, a Syrian national, sustained a superficial cut to the chin and was taken to a hospital. A manhunt for the unknown assailant was unsuccessful, and federal police are investigating the dangerous bodily harm, appealing for witnesses and reviewing video footage.
In Bad Freienwalde (Oder), Märkisch-Oderland district, a 43-year-old homeowner was seriously injured while attempting to extinguish a fire at his house. The cause of the fire remains unclear. His wife and child were also hospitalized on suspicion of smoke inhalation. The damage is estimated to be in the six-figure range.
In Hellersdorf, a man was seriously injured in a knife attack. According to reports, he was at a slot machine when at least one person approached him, leading to an attack. The victim managed to flee the bar and collapsed at a bus stop, where he received first aid. Police are investigating the background of the incident.
Federal police also arrested two men on Wednesday suspected of stealing luggage. A 13-year-old boy alerted authorities after his luggage went missing from an IC train in Hannover, and he saw a man with an identical suitcase board a Flixtrain to Berlin. The suspects were apprehended at Berlin-Spandau station, and three other victims reported stolen luggage. Both individuals, known to the police, were brought before a judge and subsequently remanded to a correctional facility.
An 82-year-old woman died in a car accident in Neustadt/Dosse (Ostprignitz-Ruppin district) after her car swerved into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with another vehicle. Both the woman and a 32-year-old driver were trapped and had to be freed by firefighters. The woman died shortly after being hospitalized. Icy road conditions are suspected to be a contributing factor.
Finally, a pedestrian was injured in Staaken (Spandau) yesterday morning when a 64-year-old man was hit by a 57-year-old female driver while crossing Heerstraße. He sustained multiple fractures and a laceration to the head, requiring inpatient hospital treatment. Investigations are being conducted by a specialized traffic crimes department.
