Man steals 60kg of rice from restaurant in Warsaw

15 May 2026 Poland Radar 0 Comments

A man stole 60 kilograms of rice from a Szpitalna Street restaurant and police arrested him nearby. Practical expat advice included.

A suspect stole 60 kilograms of rice from the back of an oriental restaurant on Szpitalna Street in central Warsaw. Consequently, officers detained a 43-year-old man minutes after he loaded three sacks of rice onto a bicycle and fled.

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What happened and how police reacted

Officers from the Śródmieście police precinct received a report of a break-in to a supply box at the restaurant.

Moreover, the patrol unit from Wilcza Street acted quickly. Therefore, they tracked the suspect near Chmielna Street within minutes.

Consequently, the officers found the three large sacks of rice on the bicycle. In addition, they secured the tools the suspect used to pry open the supply box.

However, the case looks simple at first glance. Yet, prosecutors now handle the file because the police charged the man with burglary and theft.

Man stole 60 kilograms of rice

The 43-year-old man spent a night in a police cell at the Wilcza Street station. Moreover, he later faced charges of theft with burglary.

Therefore, the prosecutor supervising the case comes from Prokuratura Rejonowa Warszawa Śródmieście – Północ.

In addition, court rules allow up to ten years in prison for this offence if the court finds aggravating circumstances.

However, prosecutors also considered the suspect’s record. Previously, authorities recorded him for similar burglaries and thefts. Consequently, this history may affect the prosecution’s recommendation.

Why this matters for expats and local businesses

First, petty theft can escalate in urban centres. Moreover, targeted restaurants and small shops often hold bulk supplies in back areas.

Therefore, owners and staff should secure storage boxes, use locks rated for commercial use, and install visible CCTV.

In addition, cyclists often move goods quickly in dense areas. Consequently, witnesses should note direction and bicycle details when reporting incidents.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW: If you witness a crime in Poland, call 112 for emergencies. Police speak Polish; ask for an interpreter if necessary. Remember that Polish administrative terms matter: PESEL is your national ID number, ZUS handles social security, and NFZ runs public health insurance (you might need these when reporting crime or filing civil claims). A “mandat” means a fine. Moreover, keep documentation and photos for insurance or prosecution. Finally, if someone steals goods from your business, contact the local station (for this case, Śródmieście/Wilcza) and the prosecutor’s office for follow-up.

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