Four Romanians, arrested after a bicycle theft of 38,000 euros in the Netherlands. Suspects' explanation, “nonsense”
Four Romanian citizens, aged between 27 and 44, were arrested after stealing bicycles worth around 38,000 euros from a shop in Goirle, according to the Brabants Dagblad publication.
Four Romanians, arrested in the Netherlands after a 38,000 euro bike theft. PHOTO Shutterstock
The theft took place on the night of December 20 to 21, 2025, at the Bikeshop Rings store, located on the street Poppelseweg. Surveillance cameras captured the four inspecting the area the night before, later returning armed with steel pipes and a pickaxe.
They smashed the shop window and removed the bikes through a hole, hiding them in a nearby bush.
“They are not cheap bikes”, said the store's co-owner, Erwin Rings, who estimated the value of the eight stolen bicycles at 38,000 euros.
The next day, a man discovered seven of the bikes and alerted the police. Law enforcement officers set up a surveillance device, anticipating that the thieves might return.
The suspects returned the same evening and were caught red-handed. Seven bikes have been recovered, but one is still missing, according to the owner.
How the suspects explain their actions
At the hearings on March 20, 2026, the four Romanians admitted the theft, but claimed that they acted at the behest of a man named Alex, who they say is close to the owner of the store.
According to their statements, the alleged Alex would have set up an insurance fraud, with the result that the bikes would later be returned, and each of them would receive 2,000 euros.
The owners of the store, the Rings brothers, however, categorically denied the existence of such a plan or the person invoked.
They also pointed out that the insurance policy was not modified to obtain higher compensation.
In the absence of evidence to support the suspects' version, the Dutch prosecutor rejected the explanation, classifying it as the truth “nonsenseThe investigation indicates that the four would have acted on their own, especially since they had just arrived in the Netherlands and could not provide concrete details about the alleged accomplice.
The prosecutor asked for five months in prison for each of the defendants, and the court is due to hand down the final sentence on April 3.
