Eight people are have been charged with theft of luxury furniture worth several hundred thousand kroner in Oslo.
Out of the eight, four were initially arrested and remanded in custody. The police then seized furniture worth several hundred thousand kroner. Furthermore, another four people have been charged in one or more of the cases.
After a long investigation, the police have taken action against a larger group that engaged in extensive theft of chairs, lamps, and other expensive interior items.
The group consisted of Norwegian men in their 30s, mainly living in Oslo. Some are unknown to the police, while others are known to the police from before.
Carried out furniture
“They simply went straight into shops/office premises during opening hours and carried chairs or other furniture out of the premises. Sometimes in front of the employees,” police attorney Nora Eek-Nielsen in the Oslo Police District noted.
The furniture has mainly been stolen from office premises and interior design shops, but also from restaurants, the police in Oslo stated.
Some of the people are also suspected of theft of small items such as sunglasses and clothes.
Operated for a long time
The perpetrators have stolen items for use in their own homes but have also resold items at auctions and on websites.
“We see that this group operated for a long time. COVID-closed shops and office premises put a damper on their activity. Therefore, it was important for us to take action now when society is about to reopen,” Eek-Nielsen said.
The thefts have mostly taken place in Oslo, but the police are investigating whether they have been active elsewhere in Norway and abroad.
Designer furniture
The police seized a lot of designer furniture, including two Extreme chairs designed by Terje Ekstrøm. The chairs have a price of about NOK 18,000 in stores.
A number of Syveren chairs from Arne Jacobsen were also found. They are sold for around NOK 6,000.
The classic The Egg by Arne Jacobsen in black leather was also found. The chair is sold for more than NOK 100,000 in stores, while the Wing Chair by Wegner has a selling price of NOK 42,000.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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