The Long and the Short of It

Police in Sweden are investigating a wave of recent bus robberies they believe are being committed by dwarves, or possibly children.  According to police, a criminal network consisting of a gang of thieves is using the classic “Trojan Horse” tactic of placing a person of diminutive stature inside a large piece of luggage, such as a hockey equipment bag, which is then loaded into the baggage compartment of a crowded motor coach.  Once the journey is underway, the short person gets out of his suitcase and, utilizing a flashlight, rifles through the luggage of the other passengers taking cash, jewelry, cameras, and anything of value that he can find.  Afterward, the little person takes his loot and returns to the piece of luggage from which he came, zips himself up and waits to be collected by an associate at the coach’s destination.

According to a spokesman for Swebus, many of the tourists being targeted are British.  Several of the thefts have occurred on a popular route between the cities of Vasteras and Stockholm, and have netted thousands of British pounds for the thieves.

“We think it is a short, young person,” the spokesman for Swebus said.  “We are taking extra security measures and are thinking of installing video surveillance cameras.”

One passenger who had been victimized by the “Mini-Me” type scammer(s) told investigators that she had seen two suspicious men attempting to squeeze a bulky, weighty bag into the bus’s nearly full baggage bin even though the rear compartment was nearly empty prior to boarding the bus.  Upon their arrival at Vasteras, the two men hurriedly exited the bus, grabbed their bag from the luggage compartment, and climbed into a waiting car.  When the passenger retrieved her luggage she discovered that a purse, camera, and portable hard drive had been stolen.  Other passengers provided similar stories.

According to Stockholm police, the scam has become a problem and travelers are being warned that valuables should be carried with them at all times and not placed inside luggage that is stowed in the baggage compartment.

Despite the bus company’s best efforts to quell the rash of robberies and the fact that police have been going through their records “to identify criminals of limited stature,” no arrests have been made.  Similarly, police have yet to establish a “short list” of potential suspects.

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