Two women were arrested on Monday after allegedly shoplifting goods worth nearly 10,000 kronor from a Willys supermarket in Sisjön, Gothenburg. According to reports from Göteborgs-Posten and Aftonbladet, the women, aged 30 and 40, filled their shopping carts with large quantities of meat, cheese, and soft drinks but only scanned items worth approximately 100 kronor at the self-checkout.
Civilian store detectives from Västsvensk butikskontroll observed the suspicious behavior. "They looked carefully around them and pretended to scan," said Hans Möller, CEO of Västsvensk butikskontroll, in an interview with Göteborgs-Posten. The store detectives apprehended the women after they passed through the checkout area.
They looked carefully around them and pretended to scan
Police spokesperson Christian Brattgård confirmed the incident involved what is known as an 'envarsgripande' or citizen's arrest, where non-police personnel make an apprehension. The stolen goods were estimated to be worth around 9,400 kronor. The women are suspected of theft and were initially arrested for petty theft, though the value of goods exceeded the threshold for that classification.
Hans Möller noted that rising food prices appear to be affecting shoplifting patterns, with more expensive items like meat and coffee being targeted. The case highlights ongoing challenges with self-scanning systems in retail environments.