World Cup heist: Teen thieves posing as Sweden football fans rob Stockholm jeweller’s

The gang managed to blend in and go relatively unnoticed by dressing up in full Swedish football fan gear. Photo: Deposit Photos

While Swedes gazed intently at their TV screens, watching Blågult play England in the World Cup quarterfinals, a group of crafty teenagers took advantage of the nationwide football focus and robbed a jewellery store in Stockholm.

As the clock struck 4pm on Saturday and Swedens biggest World Cup game since 1994 kicked off, the streets of Stockholms Tyreso municipality were empty, except for a group of fans that seemed to have lost their way.

Donning big wigs and hats, with their faces painted blue and yellow, they walked quickly through Armadale centre without raising suspicions, suddenly stopping at a jewellery store.

Several members of what police believe to be a seven-strong gang then broke into the goldsmiths, stealing as much as they could from the displays, as two of the bogus Sweden fans waited casually outside keeping an eye out for potential witnesses.

The robbers then fled with the loot in a silver Volvo that was later found in another part of Armadale, Swedish news agency TT reported.

At around 3am on Sunday, Stockholm police made their first arrests: three underage teenage boys, two 14 year olds and one 16 year old.

Initial police investigations suggest the gang were armed with an axe and a hammer, which they may have used to break into the jewellery store.

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