This is an interview with Steven Kilian about his life as a former plofkraker, his criminal methods, arrest, prison time, and his new book. The discussion centers on how plofkraken evolved in the Netherlands and Germany, why he got drawn into it, and how prison, family, and a violent prison attack changed his perspective.
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Steven Kilian says he still understands why the adrenaline and tension of plofkraken can feel addictive, even though he now recognizes the damage it caused. The conversation begins with his release in March after years in prison, and he describes the first months of freedom as chaotic but relieving: he had to reorganize his life, then later took a month in Curaçao to reflect on the loss of freedom and the pace of time after release. A large part of the interview is about the rise in plofkraken and how the methods evolved. The host and crime reporter Martijn Haas explain that the number of attacks is up sharply this year, but Haas places that in context by noting the peak was much higher a decade ago. …
No immediate market setup is present; the only actionable near-term angle is that plofkraak activity appears to be rotating toward softer targets as defenses tighten.
Over the next few months, the transcript suggests offenders will keep adapting faster than institutions, unless law enforcement and ATM operators maintain a sustained countermeasure edge.
The structural lesson is that profitable crime behaves like an arms race: pressure on one method shifts the threat elsewhere, so durable prevention depends on reducing the underlying incentives and pathways into the trade.
Kilian says the adrenaline and tension of plofkraken still gives him a feeling he can enjoy, even now that he understands the damage.
He frames the emotional appeal as lasting, but contrasts it with later regret.
The current increase in plofkraken is being driven partly by tighter German security and harder border enforcement.
The host and Haas say Germany has made the cross-border business more difficult.
Offenders are shifting from Geldmaat cash machines to weaker private ATMs in casinos, hotels, and similar venues.
The transcript explicitly says the latest attacks are targeting private machines instead of Geldmaat.
Hoe is het om na jaren gevangenisstraf sinds maart weer vrij te zijn?
Steven zegt dat het heel raar is, de tijd gaat enorm snel, drie maanden voelen als drie weken. De eerste maand was hij alles aan het regelen, de tweede maand is hij op vakantie gegaan naar Curaçao, wat een moment van bezinning was waarin hij terugkeek en genoot van absolute vrijheid.
Is de plofkraak als misdaadvorm weer teruggekeerd?
Martijn Haas zegt dat het er wel op lijkt, maar plaatst het in perspectief: toen Steven actief was 10 jaar geleden waren de aantallen nog veel hoger. De huidige 20 plofkraken is veel ten opzichte van vorig jaar, maar niet ten opzichte van toen.
Hoe kan het dat het aantal plofkraken sinds vorig jaar weer zo gestegen is?
Martijn legt uit dat het komt omdat het in Duitsland steeds moeilijker wordt door beveiligingsmaatregelen en grenscontroles. Ook lijkt er een nieuwe generatie plofkrakers opgestaan die begin dit jaar bij geldmaatautomaten toesloeg, met name de afstortkluizen. Geldmaat heeft maatregelen genomen waardoor de laatste aanslagen nu bij particuliere geldautomaten plaatsvinden.
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