Polish police arrest four suspects in Kraków after 600,000 PLN Limanowa jewelry robbery

The theft in Limanowa

On Friday, 18 September 2026, at approximately 09:00, a theft occurred at a jewelry store situated within a shopping gallery in Limanowa, southern Poland. A man entered the store and spent time viewing jewelry while presenting himself as a typical customer without raising the suspicions of the staff. He requested that the shop assistant show him a gold chain. While trying on the chain, the man reached for a tray holding gold items, grabbed the valuables, and ran out of the store. Investigators established that the perpetrator did not act alone. A second man monitored the surrounding area on lookout, and both individuals fled the shopping center in a white passenger car. Initial assessments and police reports estimated the value of the stolen gold items at close to 600,000 Polish zlotys.

Anna Zięciak from the Małopolska police described how the theft was executed.

“The perpetrator took advantage of the shop assistant's inattention, grabbed a tray with gold items, and fled. The value of the stolen jewelry is close to 600,000 zlotys.”

Police operation and pursuit

Following the theft, officers from the Criminal Division of the County Police Headquarters in Limanowa launched an investigation in coordination with the Criminal Division of the Regional Police Headquarters in Kraków. Investigators collected forensic evidence at the scene, questioned witnesses, and reviewed surveillance recordings from the shopping center. The footage captured images of the perpetrator's face and recorded the white getaway vehicle as it departed. Authorities circulated the suspect's likeness and vehicle details on social media to solicit public tips. To restrict the suspects' escape, police established checkpoints across Limanowa County, conducting systematic inspections of vehicles and individuals.

Anna Zięciak detailed the regional response across the county.

“Every signal from residents was meticulously verified by us. Numerous patrols and checkpoint operations were active in the field.”

Raid and arrests in Kraków

On the morning of Sunday, 20 September 2026, less than 48 hours after the theft, police raided a rented apartment in central Kraków and detained four individuals. The primary suspects are a 40-year-old man accused of carrying out the physical theft inside the store and a 24-year-old man who acted as the lookout outside (one initial police report cited their ages as 39 and 20). Two other individuals present in the apartment, a 20-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, were also taken into custody. Sources identified the suspects as residents of Limanowa County or neighboring Nowy Sącz County.

During the entry by law enforcement, the suspects threw parcels out of the apartment windows. Officers recovered the packages and determined that they contained narcotics. A search of the premises uncovered several tens of thousands of zlotys in cash along with a gold chain, whose origin is being verified by investigators.

Anna Zięciak confirmed the drug discovery during the operation.

“During the detention, the individuals threw packages out of the windows. As it turned out, these were narcotics.”

Legal proceedings

Sub-inspector Katarzyna Cisło, spokesperson for the Małopolska police, confirmed that investigators are clarifying the exact role of each detained individual. Police announced plans to submit formal applications to the court requesting pre-trial detention for the primary suspects involved in the heist. Procedural actions and investigative checks remain ongoing.