Police officers from the Investigative Department of the Warszawa-Białołęka Police Station, supported by specialists from the "Skorpion" intervention unit, detained two Romanian citizens in Rzeszów. The men are suspected of misappropriating a luxury Mercedes vehicle valued at 800,000 Polish zloty. The detention was the result of months of operational activities conducted in Warsaw and Rzeszów.
Case Details
According to investigators, a 35-year-old Romanian citizen, using a passport from his home country, rented a vehicle from a company offering rental services in the Białołęka district. Despite signing a contract, the man failed to return the vehicle on time, and his phone number became inactive. A representative of the victim company initially reported the theft of the vehicle and the keys, but further investigation revealed different circumstances.
Technical analysis showed that the tracking devices had been removed from the rented Mercedes, making direct monitoring of the car impossible. Police determined that the suspect had not acted alone. A 27-year-old companion, also a Romanian citizen, was added to the group of suspects associated with the detained 35-year-old. Both men appeared at a rental agency in Rzeszów identified by the officers, where they were apprehended.
Criminal Context
According to the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, the detained 35-year-old is listed in police databases in connection with luxury car thefts across Europe. According to unofficial operational information, the man may have been planning to steal another, even more valuable Mercedes belonging to a car rental company in Rzeszów. The detention occurred at the moment the suspects appeared at this specific location, allowing the officers to intervene.
The suspect was transported to the North Praga command, and then to the District Prosecutor's Office in Warszawa-Praga Północ. The 35-year-old was charged with misappropriation of property. This crime carries a penalty of up to 10 years of imprisonment.
Decisions
The court granted the prosecutor's request for the temporary detention of the 35-year-old for 3 months. The 27-year-old accomplice was transported for further investigative proceedings.