Fare dodging with a gun: Why even the GSG 9 has to intervene now

No ticket - but a gun in the waistband

Berlin, S-Bahn line 45, Monday afternoon: two teenagers without a ticket - actually an everyday occurrence in the capital. But when ticket inspectors ask for their tickets, the situation escalates: the young men pull out firearms, threaten the train staff - and flee. What looks like a scene from an action movie has become a sad reality.

Three days later, the state responds: GSG 9, Germany's toughest special unit, storms two apartments - in Kreuzberg and Buckow. The target: the alleged perpetrators, 18 and 19 years old, both already known to the police for violent crimes. But despite the large-scale operation, the suspects have not yet been arrested.

From fare dodgers to serious criminals

What is this really about? Not about fare evasion. It's about "particularly serious extortion", according to the public prosecutor's office. Because anyone who threatens an employee with a real or implied weapon in order to evade an inspection is crossing every line. This is no longer a juvenile prank, but a violent crime.

According to investigators, the men are offenders known to the police - a similar crime is said to already be on their record. And that's exactly why the big guns are being used: the GSG 9 only arrives when there is a danger to life and limb.

Why this approach is justified

At first glance, the deployment of a special unit may seem excessive - because of two young people who didn't have a ticket. But this is a dangerous fallacy. After all, being threatened with a firearm - whether real or fake - is a traumatic experience for the ticket inspectors concerned and a potentially fatal emergency for the police.

The perpetrators went into hiding after the crime, were armed and dangerous - an attempted arrest by patrol officers would have been highly risky. The fact that the GSG 9 took over in such an explosive case shows: The rule of law reacts consistently when violence threatens to gain the upper hand.

Not a trivial offense, but a red line crossed

The days when fare evasion was considered a trivial offense are over - and that's a good thing. Anyone who threatens to use a weapon to evade an inspection is attacking the state head-on. It's not about the ticket, it's about the principle: threat, escape, weapons - that's a red line.

Anyone who believes that inspectors are fair game is very much mistaken. And anyone who thinks they can use force to disregard law and order will not only face a fine - but also the GSG 9. This is what the rule of law should look like: tough against real threats, clear in its message.