Three men blew up an ATM in the winter sports resort of Torfhaus in the Harz Mountains in the Goslar district early on Saturday morning and took a woman into their power as they fled. The woman was unharmed, police said.

The men took the woman’s car as a getaway vehicle and initially kept the driver in their power. During the search by police forces from the Braunschweig and Göttingen police departments, the car was stopped and three men were provisionally arrested. No one was injured in the arrest, it said.

In consultation with the investigating public prosecutor in Osnabrück, possible reasons for detention are now being examined. The police investigations are being conducted by the Braunschweig Central Criminal Inspectorate. This checks whether the suspects are also suitable for further crimes.

The ATM and the adjacent property were significantly damaged. The amount of property damage incurred and the amount of cash stolen could not initially be further quantified.