Overview
- The Freiburg court, which delivered the verdict Monday, gave five defendants suspended prison terms of one year and four months to two years, and the judgment is not yet final.
- Prosecutors say the suspected organizer is a 50-year-old former cashier whose case was split off because she is on medical leave.
- Investigators traced more than 150 thefts and about 15 participants from 2019 to 2023, with losses estimated at roughly €130,000.
- Testimony described a simple method in which the cashier let acquaintances pass without scans, used retained receipts for fraudulent returns, and filled on‑demand orders that were paid in cash and often resold online.
- Court testimony said the checkout area lacked cameras, IKEA had hired private detectives in 2021, and a neighbor’s tip led the company to file a police complaint in late 2022.