Earlier this week, three burglaries were discovered in Umeå - two in Sofiehem and one in Gimonäs.
On Thursday afternoon, Umeå police received a new report. The burglary on Cirkelgatan in Teg is believed to have happened sometime between Wednesday and Thursday.
However, the police already see connections to the burglaries earlier in the week.
– The modus operandi is the same in that all the cases in Umeå involve entry through a basement window, Magnus Eklund, chief investigator at the police, tells VK.
According to what has been found so far, no valuables have been stolen from the homes. Nor do the police see any pattern in the type of items that have gone missing.
– Often thieves target jewelry or valuables, but we haven't seen anything like this yet. We're talking about low-value items, like a speaker. Maybe they just haven't found jewelry or more valuable items, says Eklund.
In addition to the incidents in Umeå, four homeowners in Skellefteå have reported burglaries. All the burglaries have taken place in the last week.
– You could say that there is a definite connection between the burglaries in Umeå. We believe it's the same people who committed the burglaries. Whether there is a connection with the burglaries in Skellefteå, I cannot say, says Eklund.
At the moment, the police have no suspects for the burglaries.
– It's difficult to say if it's a so-called itinerant crime or if it's local people. We're trying to analyze the crime scenes and see if we can find any traces of the perpetrators.
As the weekend approaches, police are now warning of new burglaries.
– Based on statistics, we see that burglaries are more common on weekends. There's a natural explanation in that more people are simply away. Coupled with the fact that we're entering a darker time of year, we see an increased risk of break-ins now, says Daniel Karlsson, crime coordinator at Västerbotten Police.
Magnus Eklund advises homeowners to be extra vigilant in their residential areas.
– Be aware of vehicles and people that might stand out. Be a bit of a detective. If you see a car that stands out, or you wonder what it's doing here, write down the license plate or take a picture. And don't hesitate to call us. It could be nothing, but it could also be the perpetrators.
You can call the police on 114 14.