Phone thefts in Luxembourg: Interior Ministry sees no increase, but data is lacking

A parliamentary enquiry by CSV MP Laurent Mosar into an alleged rise in violent phone thefts in Luxembourg has prompted the Ministry of the Interior to publish official statistics.

At first glance, it may seem that the problem has worsened - both residents of the capital and observers have spoken about it. However, the data for the last three years show no steady increase. In 2022 there were 220 cases of thefts with the use of physical force, in 2023 there were noticeably fewer - 160, and in 2024 the figure rose again to 220 cases. Thus, 2023 appears to be an exception rather than a trend, and the Ministry does not conclude that there is a systematic increase in violent crime of this kind.

However, there is another side to this: the Ministry of Internal Affairs has admitted that it does not keep separate statistics on all phone thefts. In particular, if the device was stolen without the use of violence - for example, from a bag on public transport - such a case can be registered as a common theft, which does not allow tracking the "phone" specifics.

Also, police officers do not collect specific data on the dynamics of telephone theft in general, which limits the possibilities for comprehensive analyses and the development of preventive measures.