This is how people steal in Warsaw. Ex-burglar reveals how to do it in 10 minutes

Przemysław Ziemichód

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See the gallery(43 photos)Add a comment:Share:A few seconds and a screwdriver separate them from the savings you keep in home. They will rob any house or apartment in less than 10 minutes. This is how professional burglars work. In the Prison in Białołęka, Warsaw, we asked them about the details of their profession. How much did they earn, who did they steal from, and do they regret their actions? Watch the video to find out.

Eight, twelve thousand zlotys a month, 10 minutes and a balcony window - that's how much separates a thief from your life savings, electronic equipment and everything you have at home. In less than the time it takes to make scrambled eggs, a thief will take everything of value to him out of your apartment. And worst of all, there is no way to stop him. We met two professional burglars in the Correctional Facility in Warsaw Białołęka. Marek, a repeat offender with many years of experience, broke in because he needed money for alcohol. He would earn a few bottles of the most expensive cognacs a month from the burglaries. As he claims, his activity brought him the equivalent of 3-4 national averages.

He robbed blocks of flats, knew how to get in through windows and doors, and what to do when caught. - It's hard to estimate, but you can count that for four years it was three or four apartments a month - admits Marek, who made a living from burglaries much better than most of his honest working colleagues. Until he stole a bicycle. Why? Because he didn't want to take the night bus home. The theft was recorded by a CCTV camera. He will spend the next seven years in prison.

Andrzej, much younger than Marek, is a type of Warsaw smartass. He robbed rich houses in the suburbs, he was able to bypass every security measure and tell nosy neighbors that the family he was robbing had asked him to turn off the gas in the house. Unlike Marek, Andrzej seems to have no remorse. He only softens when he talks about a family with a sick child. The money stolen from them was to be used for their son's surgery. My child could be in this situation too. Maybe then the burglar's heart will move and give back - he confesses.

Is she telling the truth? It's hard to say because, as psychologists say, people like those imprisoned in Białołęka lack empathy, and many of them are excellent manipulators. Andrzej belongs to a group that steals for adrenaline and money. If his fate had gone differently, he might have become a stockbroker or a surgeon. When burglars open someone else's apartment, they behave like any other professional focused on their job. - Cold calculation. You have to do your job as soon as possible and get out,” Marek admits. Like any specialist, he too followed a certain routine. Young people tend to keep most of their valuables out. Elderly people hide money and jewelry, but they also cannot protect themselves from theft. - The direction of the thief is glass cabinets, caskets, wardrobes with clothes. Nothing more. He comes in, looks for and leaves, says Andrzej.

Money instead of PlasmaWhat is the best loot? First of all, jewelry, money and other valuables that are easy to sell. Next: laptops, telephones, electronics, but these types of gadgets are harder to liquidate. It is unlikely that the thief took, for example, a TV set. It is difficult to take it out without arousing suspicion, and the money received for it does not compensate for the risk.

This is how you steal in Warsaw. Ex-burglar reveals how to do it in 10 minutes

Then your TV is relatively safe. Everything else is not, because as both inmates admit, in the times of their thieving "prosperity" there were no security measures that could not be circumvented. The alarm, although it slows down the burglar, is a clear signal that there is something valuable in the house and it is worth spending a few minutes disarming it. And anti-burglary windows? They will also effectively stop the intruder, but for a maximum of 5 minutes. Unless, of course, they are closed. Most of the people robbed do not close their windows. And those that do can be robbed with a simple screwdriver. 10 seconds is enough to turn a closed window into an "entrance" to the apartment. When a screwdriver fails, a diamond comes into play, i.e. a glass cutter, which cuts a small hole in the glass.

The opportunity makes the thiefWhy do we mainly write about windows? Because they are much easier to force without arousing the suspicions of the neighbors. The image of a burglar in a striped sweatshirt with a bunch of keys, popularized by movies and mass culture, has little to do with reality. Why? If a thief enters through the door, it is usually because it is ... open. Many cases of burglaries involve situations where the owner not only did not lock the apartment, but also left the keys in the lock. Although, even a solid and well-closed anti-burglary door will not stop an intruder who would like to rummage in our cabinets.

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See also: Taiyaki WAW - the only such ice cream parlor in Warsaw

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