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10 looters arrested for stealing from flood victims in Poland

19.09.2024 12:30
In flood-affected areas of southwestern Poland, the police have arrested 10 individuals for looting. Fraudsters are also attempting to profit from fake charity campaigns and spreading misinformation online.
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Roman Kuster, the Deputy Chief of the National Police, reported during a crisis meeting in Wrocław that 1,000 PLN and a camera worth 20,000 PLN were stolen from the WOPR rescuers' room at the University of Economics in Wrocław.

The suspect has been identified and is in custody. The theft occurred at night as he broke into rooms where exhausted flood responders were sleeping.

The Opole police have also detained two men for thefts in the flooded areas, with the stolen goods recovered.

In addition to looting, there are issues with fraudulent charitable fundraising and misinformation.

The Central Bureau of Combating Cybercrime has identified 34 fraudulent fundraising campaigns, and 21 social media accounts spreading deliberate misinformation have been detected.

MP Cezary Tomczyk warned that looters face up to 10 years in prison, noting that the military is using night-vision and thermal imaging to protect property.

During today’s flood response meeting in Wrocław, PM Donald Tusk warned about a scammer posing as a soldier and spreading false claims about planned dam demolitions, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.

The Polish Prime Minister urged the public to disregard these false claims and report any similar incidents to the authorities.

Today's plan includes deploying over 5,100 police officers, with 800 coming from other regions, to support the ongoing relief efforts.

Source: IAR/KPRP/MSWiA/X/@RadiowaTrojka/@opolskaPolicja/@RCB_RP

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