3 men arrested – “Pickerl” issued illegally: 38 customers cheated

Suspicion arose due to technical defects in a trailer in September, despite the fact that a “Pickerl report” had just been issued. Intensive investigations led to the 66-year-old former workshop owner from the Leibnitz district being caught: He illegally produced badges for trailers in cooperation with a motor vehicle operation off. 38 people were scammed and put in danger as a result. The three suspects received a report.

It could have been dangerous for 38 people: Despite serious defects in trailers, a 66-year-old from the Leibnitz district issued a “Pickerl report”. This was noticed by an incident in September: A customer drove his trailer away from the workshop, believing it had been repaired. Shortly thereafter, there were technical problems. Another car company recognized the fraud and filed a complaint. After that, the police began a long investigation: “133 people were dug up and all questioned individually,” says police spokesman Markus Lamb. 38 customers remained, all of whom were duped. The 66-year-old used to own a workshop himself. However, giving up authorization to issue stickers did not prevent him from continuing: it was only through his cooperation with a car dealership that he was able to pull off the scam. The trailers were never checked there. The owner of the verified car operation was fully compliant. An affected employee and the former vehicle manufacturer refused to testify. All three were shown.
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