East Iceland Residents Advised To Lock Their Doors

The police in East Iceland have advised residents to lock their doors and be vigilant in the wake of a rash of burglaries in the area.

Fréttablaðið reports that two men were recently arrested in East Iceland under suspicion of being involved in a series of break-ins. They are additionally suspected of being a part of an organised criminal effort.

The arrest of one of the two was particularly dramatic, as a resident came home in Fáskrúðsfjörður only to find a thief in their home. The thief reportedly punched the resident in the stomach before fleeing, at first on foot and then getting into a car, speeding away.

Police were called from nearby Egilsstaðir, who spotted the thief’s car in Breiðdalsvík. As police approached, two men attempted to flee on foot, but were arrested and taken into custody. A judge has ordered them to be in custody for the next two weeks; one has accepted the decision, but the other is appealing.

As there have been other break-ins in summer homes in the region, police are now advising residents to lock their homes — a fairly rare practice in the area — and to be on the look-out for any suspicious activity.

It is unknown at this time if these break-ins are in anyway connected to the rash of Reykjavík area break-ins that plagued Iceland’s capital last winter.