Two Romanian citizens arrested after theft in Amstetten

A short time later, the duo's car was stopped in Ybbs an der Donau, also in the district of Melk. The two Romanian citizens were arrested. On the order of the St. Pölten public prosecutor's office, they were taken to the St. Pölten and Krems correctional facilities.

Search and arrest

According to police, the suspects are also said to have attracted attention in several other jewelry stores in the region. No confession has been made so far, the investigators added.

The Lower Austria State Police Directorate emphasized in a statement that investigations into similarly structured offenses are ongoing. It is being examined whether the duo could be responsible for further crimes in Lower Austria.

Ongoing investigations

Regarding the specific course of the offense, police said the 22-year-old had deliberately engaged the saleswoman in conversation in order to draw her attention away from the pieces of jewelry. This approach, which is considered a classic distraction theft in criminology, apparently allowed the 18-year-old accomplice to pocket gold jewelry unnoticed.

The report was filed on Saturday morning, on the previous weekend. It was not until the following Monday that police announced the arrest and the further circumstances. A judicial finding is expected in the coming days.

The evaluation of video recordings from the jewelry store as well as witness statements are, according to the investigators, expected to help clarify whether the duo is also responsible for other incidents. Investigators are also examining possible links to similar thefts in the Mostviertel region in recent weeks.