After eradicating a criminal gang which had orchestrated a series of break-ins in the capital region the Metropolitan Police now reports a dramatic drop in break-ins. A whopping 48% drop in burglaries at private residences in March is entirely explained by the arrest of 6 foreign nationals and one local man who had broken into a number of homes and businesses since December.
Read more: Crime rate in Reykjavík drops, fewer thefts than at any time since 1999
According to the monthly Crime Statistics Report 746 crimes were reported in the capital region during March, which is 6% below the 12 month average. A total of 70 burglaries were reported in March, down from 90 in February, and 27 break-ins into private homes, down from 52 in Februarly.
Skúli Jónsson, Assistant Chief Superintendant with the Metropolitan Police told the local news site Vísir that the string of burglaries began in December and continued through January and into February. Then, late February we arrested seven individuals who seem to have been responsible for most of the burglaries in the preceding months. Their arrest explains the drop.
Three of the men are being held in custody and will be charged soon, Skúli told Fréttablaðið. Two more are free, but not allowed to leave the country while the investigation is still underway, while a sixth man, who is only 16 years old, has been sent to his home country. The seventh man who is suspected of involvement in the burglaries is an Icelandic national.
Skúli added that organized burglaries are very rare in Iceland. But we must remain ever vigilant. At any time we might see some group come to Iceland from abroad to terrorize people like these men did.
After eradicating a criminal gang which had orchestrated a series of break-ins in the capital region the Metropolitan Police now reports a dramatic drop in break-ins. A whopping 48% drop in burglaries at private residences in March is entirely explained by the arrest of 6 foreign nationals and one local man who had broken into a number of homes and businesses since December.
Read more: Crime rate in Reykjavík drops, fewer thefts than at any time since 1999
According to the monthly Crime Statistics Report 746 crimes were reported in the capital region during March, which is 6% below the 12 month average. A total of 70 burglaries were reported in March, down from 90 in February, and 27 break-ins into private homes, down from 52 in Februarly.
Skúli Jónsson, Assistant Chief Superintendant with the Metropolitan Police told the local news site Vísir that the string of burglaries began in December and continued through January and into February. Then, late February we arrested seven individuals who seem to have been responsible for most of the burglaries in the preceding months. Their arrest explains the drop.
Three of the men are being held in custody and will be charged soon, Skúli told Fréttablaðið. Two more are free, but not allowed to leave the country while the investigation is still underway, while a sixth man, who is only 16 years old, has been sent to his home country. The seventh man who is suspected of involvement in the burglaries is an Icelandic national.
Skúli added that organized burglaries are very rare in Iceland. But we must remain ever vigilant. At any time we might see some group come to Iceland from abroad to terrorize people like these men did.
