Thieves smash window with loader to steal e-bikes in Vantaa

Security camera footage shows thieves smashing a shop window with a small loader before stealing three electric bicycles from a Vantaa store early Thursday, Yle reports.

The incident occurred at Ebike Center in Tammisto, where staff arrived to find a broken window and several display e-bikes missing. The surveillance video, edited by Yle to obscure the suspects’ identities, captures three individuals entering through the shattered window using the stolen loader, taken without permission from a nearby construction site.

Police are investigating the case as an aggravated theft attempt. “The suspects have not yet been identified,” said Detective Inspector Sanna Rentola.

The stolen bikes, all budget models, have a combined value of nearly €14,000. Store owner Timo Uotila noted that more expensive models were available but were left untouched. “I’m puzzled why they took our discount bikes,” he said.

This is not the first break-in attempt at the store, though previous incidents involved the theft of individual bikes. Uotila attributed the rise in such crimes to the growing popularity of e-bikes in recent years. The store has since reinforced its security measures.

Ebike Center operates five locations across Finland.