Police have detained a 42-year-old man suspected of breaking into a home in Kędzierzyn-Koźle and stealing two safes containing firearms and ammunition. The man was apprehended on Sunday morning in the Silesian Voivodeship with the help of police counter-terrorism officers, and all of the stolen items were recovered.
The break-in and the trail to Silesia
According to a statement from the Kędzierzyn-Koźle police, reported by local media, the break-in at a single-family home took place on Friday, 30 October. The perpetrator got past the building’s security measures. From inside, he took a games console and two safes in which the owner kept firearms and ammunition. According to RMF24, the owner had a firearms licence.
The case was handled by criminal investigators from Kędzierzyn-Koźle. They were supported by officers from the criminal divisions of the regional police headquarters in Opole and Katowice. Thanks to operational work, a person suspected of the break-in was identified.
The counter-terrorism operation
The arrest took place on Sunday morning in the Silesian Voivodeship. Officers from the Independent Counter-Terrorism Subunit of the Police (SPKP) in Katowice took part in it. As reported by Nasze Miasto Katowice, the specialists were called in because the suspect may have had live ammunition and stolen weapons.
The officers recovered all of the stolen firearms and ammunition. Klaudia Restel, senior assistant inspector and spokeswoman for the Kędzierzyn-Koźle police, told Radio Opole that further proceedings with the detained man are being carried out under the supervision of a prosecutor.
Wanted on 11 warrants
The detained 42-year-old was wanted on the basis of 11 different warrants and orders, including three arrest warrants issued by public prosecutors’ offices (listy gończe). He remains in the custody of law enforcement authorities. According to RMF24, police are determining whether the break-in was random or whether the perpetrator was specifically looking for weapons.
As of publication, it has not been disclosed what charges the man faces or whether a court has ordered him detained. It has also not been made public how many weapons were stolen or what types they were. The presumption of innocence applies.
What it means
For residents of Kędzierzyn-Koźle and the surrounding area, the important news is that all of the stolen firearms have returned to their owner or the police and did not end up on the black market. For licence holders, the case is a reminder of the importance of security measures: in this instance, the perpetrator took entire safes, not just their contents. The law requires that firearms be stored in a way that prevents access by unauthorised persons, and stolen safes can most often only be opened once they are away from the home. Police recommend, among other things, anchoring safes to the floor or a wall.
