The first report of a theft on the Legnica section of the A4 motorway was received almost three weeks ago. Since then, police officers in Legnica and other towns located along the A4 route, toward the border with Germany, have received several reports of similar incidents.
At night, the criminals watched petrol stations and currency exchange offices along the motorway. When a driver exchanging large sums of money appeared there, or when the criminals realized that a driver was carrying a large amount of cash, they slashed a tire on the vehicle. After driving several kilometers, the driver realized that the tire was damaged and stopped at an exit or petrol station to change it. The thieves then approached the other side of the vehicle and, taking advantage of open doors or breaking the lock cylinders, entered the vehicle and stole money pouches, travel bags and other valuable items.
For several days, Legnica police officers had been monitoring several selected locations on the A4 motorway. On the night from Thursday to Friday, they spotted a car transporter whose driver had stopped to change a wheel. As he was doing so, a car pulled up to his vehicle and a man got out and broke into the transporter’s cab.
Two men were arrested. A third suspect began to flee, running across two lanes of the motorway. Truck drivers traveling on the A4 were informed of the incident by radio and asked for assistance. The man was arrested several minutes later. A police dog traced the escape route and identified the place where the suspect was hiding.
The three detainees, aged between 40 and 46, were placed in police custody. They are citizens of the Czech Republic, Albania and Kosovo. Tools used to commit the crimes and large sums of money were found on them.
Police officers established that the suspects had committed more than a dozen similar crimes in Poland and Germany. It cannot be ruled out that they also operated in the Czech Republic. Legnica police officers are cooperating in the investigation with officers from those countries. Both Polish citizens and citizens of other countries were robbed.
The detainees will face charges of theft, burglary and probably causing a danger of disaster in land traffic, for which they could face up to 10 years in prison. The officers will ask the court to order the gang members’ temporary detention.
KMP Legnica/ii