Four German men are alleged to have stolen huge numbers of Tonies figures, a popular German electronic children's toy that plays audio when placed in a special box, police announced on Wednesday.
The four men are suspected of being part of a Leipzig-based gang that specialized in stealing the popular entertainment figures and police believe they are responsible for more than 60 thefts dating back to 2022.
Several thousand stolen Tonies figures have been recovered so far by police, who set up a special investigative team to look into the thefts. The men are also suspected of having stolen other electronic entertainment equipment such as video game consoles.
Police estimate the total value of stolen loot at more than €85,000 ($92,000).
The first suspect, a 20-year-old man, was arrested by police in the southern German town of Lindau in February. The other three suspects were arrested during a traffic check on the A-9 motorway.
Police said the suspects, who range in age from 20 to 58 years old, are being held in custody.
