The Grand Ducal Police has reported that it has made several arrests in the fight against burglary in recent weeks.

In the early hours of Thursday 19 December 2024, at around 02:50, an attempted break-in into a family home on Rue St Desert in Manternach was reported. Two suspects were subsequently arrested following a manhunt that was immediately initiated. Initial investigations revealed that the supsects could also be linked to a theft from a vehicle on Syrdallstrooss. During the subsequent search of the two suspects, a stolen credit card, drugs, knives and cash were confiscated. On the orders of the public prosecutor, they were arrested and brought before the investigating judge in the afternoon; the judge issued an arrest warrant for the two men.

In general, the police in Luxembourg have seen an increase in burglaries over the past few weeks, specifically in family homes. In this regard, and taking into account the analyses of the perpetrators' methods, as well as the findings at crime scenes and information from the public, various police units have carried out several major police operations during this period with the aim of catching the perpetrators red-handed.

As part of these operations, a suspect was recently arrested in Echternach on the night of 9 December 2024 in connection with the theft of three tractors. Another suspect was caught and arrested after an attempted burglary on 7 December 2024 in a family home in Filsdorf. In addition, two other suspects were arrested in Altwies as burglary tools were found during an inspection of the two men's car and the suspicion was confirmed during the course of the investigation that both men could be connected to a previous burglary in Erpeldingen (Bous-Waldbredimus municipality). In this case too, the public prosecutor's office ordered the arrest of the two suspects.

Since the beginning of November, the police have been able to arrest around 20 people suspected of having committed burglaries or attempted burglaries. A dozen of these suspects were arrested on the orders of the public prosecutor's office. Around 30 burglars have been arrested since the beginning of September.

Combating burglaries in the winter months

In general, the police are very active in the fight against burglaries, especially in the autumn and winter months, which are particularly favourable conditions for burglaries due to the advanced darkness and poor visibility. Preventive and proactive measures include targeted patrols and an increased police presence at specific times and places. Reactive and repressive efforts include, among others, neighbourhood surveys, forensic investigations by the technical police or investigations by the criminal police.

Burglary prevention

The Grand Ducal Police have issued a reminder that good mechanical security of the house, an alarm system, and also personal vigilance significantly reduce the risk of becoming a victim of a burglary.

In addition to electronic and mechanical security, the following also help protect you from burglaries:

Report to the police any suspicious people or cars that are in your street or neighbourhood. The effectiveness of arrests against criminal gangs specialising in burglaries depends on the quality of tips from the public. While any report can be valuable, it is important that information about potential perpetrators or suspicious elements is as accurate and complete as possible. In this case, the police emergency number tel: 113 is available 24/7.

When one is away, even for a short time, close all windows and doors. A tilted window gives burglars easy access. If one's windows are equipped with a lock, do not leave the key in the lock.

Remember to switch on one's alarm system when one leaves one's house or apartment, even if one is only away for a short time.

Some burglars avoid the light. As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, it is therefore advisable to light up your house.

Also lock one's garage and cellar doors. Make sure that no unknown people have access to shared garages or cellars. Also remember to secure one's bicycle if it is in a shared garage or lock it in one's private cellar.

If one is away for several days, inform one's neighbours so that they can be aware of anything suspicious.

If one is going on holiday, inform the police by filling out the “Departure on holiday” form (available from the e-commissariat). The police will occasionally carry out preventive patrols in the area during the day or at night as part of their general surveillance.

The police website offers a number of other practical prevention tips, including recommendations for mechanical and electronic security of a home.

Another warning: beware of burglaries linked to adhesive threads

In recent days, the police have again detected burglaries/attempted burglaries in which perpetrators have previously gained access to apartment buildings and then attached very thin, barely visible threads of adhesive tape to the bottom corner of the entrance door of the apartments.

This procedure is intended to check for the presence of residents in apartment buildings. If the threads are cut when the door is opened, the perpetrators know that someone has entered or left the apartment in the meantime. However, if the threads remain intact, this is a possible indication that the residents are absent, whereupon the perpetrators decide to break in.

In this context, the police have pointed out once again that residents who notice such adhesive threads on their doors should report this immediately via the emergency number tel: 113.