The incident occurred at one of the DIY stores in Zgorzelec County. According to police findings, a security guard noticed a man completing the purchase of a robotic lawn mower at the self-checkout at a drastically reduced price.
Officers determined that the 38-year-old had previously stuck onto the mower’s packaging a barcode label from another, much cheaper product. As a result, he paid less than PLN 7 for equipment worth nearly PLN 3,500 and attempted to leave the store.
The security guard apprehended the man and notified the police. The suspect was detained.
During further investigative activities, detectives determined that this was not the first such incident. Several days earlier, the same man had removed from the same store a welder worth more than PLN 1,500, also using a barcode label from another product valued at less than PLN 6.
The 38-year-old has already been charged. The court will decide his further fate.
Police remind the public that manipulating price markings or barcodes in order to pay a lower amount is not considered a “clever way to shop,” but a crime. Depending on the legal classification, offenders may be held liable for, among other things, theft or fraud, which carry severe criminal consequences.