Mechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 2 25-year-old men and 2 women, 22 years old from Romania, stole €470 from Mechelen supermarkets. 5 people, including a 1-year-old, were detained; adults sent to the prosecutor, child to a relative.
As VRT News reported, 2 men aged 25 and 2 women aged 22, all from Romania, were caught stealing around €470 worth of goods from a supermarket on Levensesteenweg in Mechelen. The Rivierenland Police Zone said the theft happened around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct 27, 2025.
What happened in Mechelen when 5 Romanians, including a baby, were caught stealing?
Officers were alerted by a report of a shoplifting incident and quickly started searching for the suspects. Minutes later, a car matching the description was spotted on Leuvensesteenweg near Molstraat. Police stopped the vehicle and checked its occupants.
Inside the car were 5 people, including a 1-year-old child. Police found 4 full shopping bags of food in the vehicle. The occupants could not show any receipts and gave a confusing story about why they had the items. Their explanation did not convince the officers. Authorities said the case is under investigation. They are reviewing the details to decide on the next steps and possible legal action.
“The store manager confirmed to us that the goods came from his supermarket. We therefore returned the four full shopping bags,”
says Van de Sande.
During the police response to a shoplifting incident in Mechelen, officers received a second call about another theft earlier that same afternoon. This time, the theft occurred at a supermarket on Hombeeksesteenweg.
Police spokesperson Dirk Van de Sande said the investigation showed that the same group was involved in both incidents. The 2 women had tried to leave the store without paying, which set off the alarm. They abandoned their shopping bags, which contained food and cosmetics, and fled the scene in their car.
All 5 people, including a one-year-old child, were taken to the police station for further questioning. Police contacted a relative of the mother to pick up the baby. The 4 adults were handed over to the public prosecutor’s office and will be summoned soon.
Mechelen and the surrounding region have seen several shoplifting and theft cases in recent years. In February 2025, 6 Romanian nationals were arrested after breaking into business premises on Antoon Spinoystraat in the city. Police said the suspects were caught shortly after the burglary, and the investigation is ongoing.
Shoplifting is also rising across Belgium. In July 2024, a crime-fighting group representing independent Belgian supermarkets reported that theft had reached its highest level in a decade. They recorded 24,021 shoplifting incidents in 2023.
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