A theft ring specializing in stealing exclusive appliances and tools from construction sites has been caught after months of crimes. Four people are now sentenced for gross thefts worth 2.3 million kronor in southern Skåne.
An organized theft ring targeted new constructions and renovation projects in municipalities including Vellinge, Sjöbo, Helsingborg, Trelleborg, and Skurup. Between autumn 2024 and June this year, eight break-ins occurred, with thieves taking goods worth hundreds of thousands of kronor each time. The total value of stolen items reached about 2.3 million kronor, including appliances, tools, sauna heaters, heating boilers, stoves, parquet flooring, electrical equipment, doors, windows, lamps, bathtubs, and building materials.
One example is the theft from a house in Höllviken, where items worth nearly 450,000 kronor were taken. Police arrested two men and a woman in the early hours of June at a house build in Trelleborg municipality following a break-in alarm. Along with a fourth man, they were charged for the systematic crimes.
Ystad District Court sentenced all four for gross theft. A 34-year-old and a 41-year-old man, along with a 33-year-old woman, received prison terms of one year and five months, and one year and eleven months respectively. The 41-year-old was involved in all thefts, while the woman drove the getaway car on several occasions. The third man was sentenced to protected supervision and community service for two thefts and handling stolen goods; he admitted photographing and trying to sell stolen Smeg appliances.
The evidence relied on mobile phone analyses showing the perpetrators' locations and chats about 'working' and selling goods. Surveillance footage, shoe prints at crime scenes, and items like sneakers, tools, clothing, and mobile phones were found after the arrest. Gloves and a crowbar were discovered in the woman's car.
