Two men aged 45 to 55 have been sentenced to prison by Gävle District Court for gross thefts from eight elderly people in stores across several Swedish locations. The thefts occurred between October 2025 and February 2026. The men distracted victims while stealing wallets, bank cards, and one mobile phone.
The men committed the thefts together in locations including Sala, Gävle, Härnösand, Uppsala, Kalix, Vännäs, Kramfors, and Säter. One distracted the victims by asking about products, while the other took wallets from shopping carts or walkers. They used stolen bank cards to withdraw cash and once took a mobile phone from a pocket.
Police coordinated the investigation after sharing methods and surveillance images across regions. An officer in Västerås recognized their car, leading to the arrests. “It was good work involving many that allowed the cases to be coordinated and investigated,” said Lisa Johansson from crime coordination in police region Mitt.
One man was convicted of eight counts of gross theft and two of fraud, the other of eight gross thefts and three frauds. The court deemed the thefts gross due to the items' proximity to victims, who were elderly and vulnerable. The ruling highlights planning and cunning in victim selection.
Both received two years and three months in prison plus deportation. They must also pay about 70,000 kronor in damages to victims. Evidence included surveillance footage.
