A large proportion of more than 300 laptops and tablets that were stolen from City of Ghent 3 years ago have been found in Sweden. In 2022 thieves made off 310 laptops and tablets from a city council office.
Laptops stolen from Ghent City Council’s ICT Department turn up after 3 years in Sweden
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In 2022, 310 laptops, tablets and other computer equipment were stolen from an office of the City of Ghent’s ICT service District09. The thieves forced three locks and broke open doors to get their hands on the computers. The scale and the targeted nature of the burglary suggested that the thieves knew exactly what theyt were looking for and that they were well-organised.
3 years later police in Sweden have found some of the stolen computers. Alderman Hafsa El-Bazioui (green) explains "The find is part of a wider investigation".
"Right now, we have little information or insite into the investigation. We could request this through our lawyers, but we are not planning to do that for the moment. These were laptops that were lent out so they were not brand new. We were also insured for the theft and have been renumerated for the most part”.
Extra security measures
When the theft took place the District09 ICT service was not housed in a building owned by the City of Ghent, but in a building the city rented. Alderman El-Bazioui explains that "After the break-in, the service moved to a city-owned building as these are better secured."
"In addition, physical security measures have been increased in all city buildings. Alarm systems have been installed, and better agreements have been made regarding who is allowed to keep which devices in which building”