Police Catch Thieves in Kosice, Some When Offering Stolen Goods to Officers

Kosice, 12 November (TASR) – During two preventive and security raids within seven days focused on retail outlets, police officers in Kosice region managed to catch several offenders in the act of theft, some of whom even attempted to sell the stolen goods directly to plainclothes members of the Police Corps, TASR learnt from spokesperson for Kosice region police Jana Illesova on Wednesday. The first operation took place in Kosice, Michalovce and Spisska Nova Ves on 4 November. Police officers were present near the shops as well as inside, not only in uniform but also in plain clothes as ordinary customers. In Spisska Nova Ves, they identified two minors who were offering stolen goods with tags still attached for sale outside a retail chain. The case was forwarded to the revelant district office for further action. In Michalovce, a person who had stolen several bottles of perfume from a sales area tried to sell them at a bargain price to two men right after leaving the shop. They turned out to be plainclothes police officers. "The profitable deal fell through: the 'seller' left with a 100-euro on-the-spot fine," said the spokesperson. The second operation took place on a nationwide scale on Tuesday (11 November). Police officers were again present near shops, this time in uniform. During the operation, three individuals were detained after passing through checkout zones without paying. Two on-the-spot fines were imposed, while one case was referred for further proceedings. The police also announced that in the near future they'll focus on inspections of private security service employees in Kosice region. In addition to checking their performance, officers will also look into whether they are under the influence of alcohol while on duty or cooperating with offenders. mf/df