Brutal Assault and Robbery at a Warsaw ATM: Five Georgian Citizens Arrested

Five Georgian nationals have been remanded in custody for three months following a violent robbery and attempted abduction of a 25-year-old Belarusian man at a Warsaw cash deposit machine.

The Attack at the ATM on Dobosza Street

The incident occurred on the evening of July 30 on Dobosza Street in Warsaw, when a 25-year-old Belarusian man was depositing money into an ATM. A group of men attacked him, attempting to pull him into a car during a struggle that knocked him to the ground, where he was struck in the head before the assailants stole a cash sachet and a mobile phone.

The attackers fled the scene leaving the victim with head injuries, and total losses were estimated at over 20,000 PLN. The sachet contained 16,750 PLN, the stolen phone was worth approximately 2,500 PLN, and the sachet itself was valued at about 1,000 PLN.

Arrest and Charges Against Five Georgian Nationals

The following day, police officers detained five Georgian citizens aged between 23 and 29 in Duchnowo, located in Otwock County. The prosecutor charged them with robbery and attempted deprivation of liberty of the 25-year-old.

The Georgian suspects did not plead guilty, with some claiming they were by a lake near Warsaw at the time, others stating they were working as taxi drivers or had just arrived in the capital from another city, and one man shifting the blame onto some of the other detainees as well as unknown individuals.

Victim Identification and Court Decision

The 25-year-old recognized the detained Georgians during an identity parade, testifying that three of them beat him and tried to push him into the car, while the other two sat inside without protesting or helping. The stolen sachet was also recovered at the location where the suspects were detained.

Police stated that the prosecutor requested the court to temporarily arrest the Georgian citizens, and the court granted the request, ordering them to spend the next three months in custody.

Investigation into Surveillance Tactics

It remains unknown whether the men could have committed similar crimes in the past or if they constitute an organized group, though authorities established that the 25-year-old and the Georgians were previously unacquainted with no prior connections between them. Sgt. Klaudia Śliwka of the Warsaw III District Police Headquarters stated that the Belarusian citizen had been under observation.

A prosecutor familiar with the details of the case noted that Georgian groups have specialized in observing well-dressed individuals leaving banks or spending extended periods of time at ATMs.