Big theft near Wrocław. 2,200 smartwatches were stolen

The perpetrators stole exactly 2,200 smartwatches. The theft took place in one of the warehouses located near Wrocław. The incident occurred at the end of February 2026. The injured company conducted an inventory and estimated its losses. They amount to over PLN 770,000.

Smartwatches are packed in small boxes, which makes it easier for criminals to take them out and hide them. You can easily fit equipment worth hundreds of thousands of zlotys into a small vehicle. This phenomenon makes wearable electronics a very common target for theft. The perpetrators do not need heavy equipment to transport the loot.

The high demand for this type of devices guarantees quick sales on the secondary market. Smartwatches have become an integral part of the equipment of many smartphone users. Criminals take advantage of this trend to cash in on stolen goods.

The case was immediately dealt with by officers of the criminal department of the Wrocław City Police Headquarters. The officers analyzed the collected evidence, and their operational activities brought quick results. The police identified people who may have a direct connection with this incident.

As a result of these actions, two men were arrested. These are citizens of African countries, aged 24 and 26. The collected evidence was submitted to the court. At the request of the prosecutor’s office, a preventive measure in the form of temporary arrest was applied to both suspects.

The police have already managed to locate some of the stolen goods. So far, officers have recovered 275 watches. The value of the secured equipment is approximately PLN 187,000. The recovered devices will soon be returned to their rightful owner.

The rest of the devices are still wanted by law enforcement agencies. However, introducing such a number of smartwatches to the market creates problems for perpetrators. Each watch has a unique serial number. Modern devices connect to the network immediately after pairing with the user’s phone, and electronics manufacturers have the technical ability to impose a remote activation lock on a stolen batch of goods. Authorized services may also have access to databases of stolen devices. Any attempt to repair or verify equipment at such a point results in its confiscation.

Investigators clearly emphasize that the case is an ongoing one. The theft and logistics of such a large amount of equipment usually require the cooperation of many people. This includes the organization of transport, safe storage and subsequent stolen goods.

Wrocław officers are planning further arrests. The search for other people involved in this practice is ongoing. Polish law provides for a penalty of up to 5 years’ imprisonment for theft. The same criminal penalty applies to receiving stolen goods. This means purchasing, helping to sell or hiding items obtained from crime.

Purchasing electronic equipment on the Internet at a significantly reduced price is always associated with high risk. The buyer of a stolen smartwatch risks legal trouble. In such situations, unintentional stolen goods often occur. Equipment obtained from crime is always forfeited to the owner.

In such a situation, the buyer loses both the device and the money paid. Therefore, it is always worth carefully verifying the source of the product. You must request the original proof of purchase and complete packaging. The lack of these documents should make us vigilant.