The Suzuki (15 hp) and Tohatsu (25 hp) engines were forcibly removed from the boats and taken away. The Neubrandenburg Criminal Investigation Department was able to secure extensive evidence and a manhunt has been initiated. The question of whether the two offences are connected will also be the subject of a criminal investigation. The WSPI Waren, any police station and the online watch service are accepting information from witnesses at www.polizei.mvnet.de against.
The series of thefts in the Mecklenburg Lake District once again raises the question of what owners can do to make it less easy for thieves. Petra Kiekhöfer, spokeswoman for the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern water police, advises boat owners to remove the engines from their boats during winter storage and keep them locked away separately.
"If the engines have to remain on the boats, additional security with special brackets and locks is advisable," she emphasises. It is also important to equip the winter storage area with cameras and good lighting with motion detectors to deter thieves. The coding of engines and boats, which the water police offer on request, also serves this purpose. It is possible to indicate the coding with a conspicuous yellow sticker.
