Criminal gang steals from the Velten supermarket: police are looking for witnesses!

Criminal gang steals from the Velten supermarket: police are looking for witnesses!

There was recently a brazen gang theft in a supermarket on Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße in Velten, in which five unknown perpetrators acted. The police are now using photos to search for the suspects, who acted together in a well-thought-out plan to steal several hundred euros of valuable goods maz-online.de reported.

The perpetrators' approach was not only sophisticated, but also well coordinated. Two men distracted the cashier into conversation while a woman filled her shopping cart with goods and left the supermarket through an unoccupied checkout without paying. A second woman hid items in her clothing and used the manned checkout, while the third woman opened the electronic door from outside to allow the others to escape. In total, the value of the stolen goods is several hundred euros - in the three-digit range.

Reactions to shoplifting

Shoplifting is not only a problem in Velten, but is also a widespread phenomenon. The numbers have been rising rapidly since the end of the corona pandemic. In 2023, around 426,000 reports of shoplifting were recorded across Germany, the highest number since 2006 deutschlandfunk.de reported. The reasons for this include inflation and falling purchasing power. Retailers are facing an enormous problem, because in 2022 inventory losses already amounted to 4.6 billion euros, and in 2023 these increased to 4.8 billion euros.

The way we deal with such incidents has also changed in recent years. Dr. Veaceslav Ghendler, a specialist lawyer in insolvency law, explains that customers, employees and store detectives who catch a theft in the act are allowed to intervene according to Section 127 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO). This also applies to the supermarket owner, who can hold the thief until the police arrive. Nevertheless, the Bremen police advise acting prudently and warn against excessive “heroic acts” because the safety of life and health should always have priority calf recently reported.

The consequences for retail

The damage caused by shoplifting not only burdens retailers, but also the tax authorities and consumers, as the costs of theft and prevention are ultimately reflected in prices. Goods worth around 13 million euros are stolen in Germany every day, with 30 percent of the total damage caused by professional gangs of thieves, even if they only make up 6 percent of the thefts.

Retailers are therefore hoping for faster and more consistent punishments for theft. In the future, artificial intelligence could also play a crucial role in that intelligent camera systems help to better prevent shoplifting.

With regard to the current incident in Velten, the police are asking for information from the public. Anyone who saw anything or has information about the fleeing perpetrators is asked to contact the Oberhavel police station on 03301 - 851-0. Strong citizen cooperation can help prevent these crimes and increase retail security.