The crime took place in the Nowogrodziec municipality on a public holiday. – The burglary was masterminded by a former employee of the victim, who believed that he had not been properly compensated for his work. He decided to “collect” the outstanding amount by stealing property located in the apartment of his former employer – explains asp. szt. Monika Kaleta from the Press Section of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław.

She adds: – They thought they had an excellent plan. They broke into the former employer’s house while he was away on a holiday trip.

Two more “colleagues from the trade” were involved in the case and tried to sell the stolen items.

Police officers from the station in Nowogrodziec, together with detectives from Bolesławiec, arrested all four men connected with the case. Almost all of the stolen property was returned to its owners. The police headquarters reports:

The greed of one of the handlers of stolen goods contributed significantly to recovering it. He offered to help return the items while expecting payment from the victims. In the end, he miscalculated.

The perpetrators took property worth more than PLN 35,000 in total. The most valuable item was a band saw, which accounted for more than half of the value of the loot. They also stole a television, laptops, set-top boxes, and valuable keys to vehicles and an apartment.

Two handlers of stolen goods helped hide and transport the property. First, the items were taken to Bolesławiec, where one resident offered assistance. Then, with the help of the second handler, the property was brought back to the Nowogrodziec municipality. Some of the items were hidden in a cemetery and some in a garage belonging to the handler.

At the first handler’s apartment in Bolesławiec, police secured the stolen television. Based on further findings, officers also located the hiding place in the cemetery, where they recovered all the stolen keys.

One of the burglars, who had previously been convicted of property-related offenses, was additionally charged with damaging property belonging to the municipality. The man broke a window in premises owned by the local government. He will be held accountable under recidivism provisions, which means he faces a more severe sentence.

Burglary carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, while a suspect acting under recidivism faces up to 15 years behind bars. The Criminal Code provides for up to 2 years in prison for handling stolen goods.