Criminal investigators had been working for some time on cases involving break-ins at local stores in Zgorzelec County and nearby towns. The perpetrators mainly targeted grocery and general merchandise stores belonging to one of Poland’s nationwide chains, located in small towns along the border. (However, they also broke into a store selling RTV and household appliances.)
It is possible that the same perpetrators were responsible for two break-ins at Dino stores in Wykroty. (We reported on this in our newspaper.) Due to the interests of the investigation, Zgorzelec police are not disclosing details of the case.
The group operated at night. They broke in using hammers and a car, forcing open the entrance doors with them and driving inside. The driver stayed in the vehicle while the others stole merchandise.
The perpetrators stole mobile phones, televisions, alcohol and cigarettes. The total value of the stolen items exceeded PLN 80,000. The losses were greater, however, because the perpetrators smashed windows to enter the stores.
Through a thorough analysis of the collected evidence and operational activities, criminal investigators from Zgorzelec and Bogatynia identified people who could be connected with these crimes. On September 4, together with police officers from Wrocław, they detained a 19-year-old woman from Lubań County and two men from Zgorzelec County, aged 37 and 39.
At the suspects’ homes, officers secured, among other things, a hammer that the perpetrators had used to smash windows in the stores they robbed. In addition, the woman and one of the men had drugs in their possession.
The court placed all three under temporary arrest for three months. The suspects now face up to ten years in prison.