An IKEA branch with the iconic yellow lettering (symbolic image). Image: iStock Editorial
April 10, 2026, 3:23 p.mApril 10, 2026, 3:23 p.m
Five strikingly elegantly dressed women stole furniture worth several thousand euros from an Ikea store in Portugal – and then escaped in a luxury car.
The unusual theft occurred in a branch of the Swedish furniture store in Matosinhos near Porto in the north of the country, as the newspaper “Correio da Manhã” and other media reported, citing the Portuguese police.
The women had registered several pieces of furniture at the self-service checkouts, but then left the store without paying. As surveillance cameras show, two vehicles were already waiting for the group in front of the building: a van and a luxury car from a German brand.
Security forces tried to stop the women but were unable to prevent the theft. What remained behind, however, was a shopping cart with some of the loot.
One of the alleged perpetrators is said to have now been identified. It is a businesswoman from the Porto area whose husband was recently arrested for suspected involvement in the international drug trade, wrote “Correio da Manhã”, citing the police. According to the authorities, the evaluation of surveillance cameras could be crucial for identifying other people involved. (sda/dpa)