The newspaper Dagens Nyheter talks about the meat thefts in its series of articles published at the beginning of May.
The couple in their thirties went to the Coop store in Lund at the end of February. Both had a large sports bag with them. In a few minutes, they emptied tenderloin and entrecôte from the meat counter into their bags for more than 16,000 kroner, or almost 1,600 euros.
A security guard dressed in civilian clothes stopped the couple outside the store. During police interrogations, it turned out that they had committed similar thefts in several large stores in southern Sweden. The couple was sentenced to four months in prison.
A newspaper tells about meat thefts Dagens Nyheter (you switch to another service)who has interviewed Svensk Handel, the trade employers’ association in Sweden, traders and trade employees.
– Our largest members contacted us. According to them, this has become a huge problem and they didn’t know what to do. Large amounts of meat just disappear, Chief Security Officer Niina Jelver Svensk about Handel tells DN.
The meat is sold on the black market, mostly to restaurants. A kilo of meat costs around 80 kroner or 8 euros on the black market.
Svesk Handel: Mass crime ignored
The Swedish grocers’ organization Livsmedelshandlarna conducted a survey in March, according to which seven out of ten merchants said that meat theft had increased in the last four months.
– Of course, we have a lot of gang crime and shootings, but mass crimes have been ignored for a very long time. It is a gateway to more heinous crime. If shoplifting is considered risk-free, it sends a signal to criminals that they can continue, Jelver thinks.
Meat thefts are done all over the country, but they are most common in big cities. In practice, many stores have moved their most expensive meats from the shelves to the service counter. ICA dealer Cecilia Stannell That’s exactly how it has worked in Västerås.
– If I put the meat on the shelves now, they would be stolen by evening, and the shelves would be empty, he says to DN.
He says that the store spends several hours a week documenting thefts and filing criminal reports. Most of the time, however, the police announce that they have stopped preliminary investigations into crimes.
According to the police, solving food thefts is one of its priorities, because the thieves often have connections with organized crime. However, it points out at the same time that other serious crimes tie up resources.