Norway Theft Arrest: Girlfriend Called Police

Norway theft arrest in Bergen unfolded with an unexpected twist when the suspect’s girlfriend phoned police searching for her missing partner. The incident began Thursday evening at a grocery store in Solheimsviken, where a man was caught stealing and taken into custody after failing to provide identification.

Arrest After Store Theft

According to Ole Bjørn Sveen, section leader at Bergen Sentrum Police Station, officers reviewed surveillance footage showing two other men leaving the store alongside the arrested individual. “Since the foreign national couldn’t identify himself, he was placed in custody,” Sveen said. “On camera, we saw that two other men had walked out of the store with him.”

The case took a surprising turn shortly after. Police received a call from a woman who reported her boyfriend missing. She told officers the couple had been on vacation together and she hadn’t seen him since earlier that day. Acting on her tip, police visited her location—and found the two other men implicated in the theft.

Girlfriend’s Call Leads to More Arrests

All three men, described as being in their twenties, spent the night in police custody. They have all been formally charged with theft. Silje Åsnes, a police attorney, confirmed that Norway’s immigration authorities are now reviewing their cases to determine next steps.

The woman’s phone call—intended simply to locate her partner—ended up closing a key gap in the investigation. Without her contact, the other suspects might not have been found so quickly. Police did not disclose the nature of the stolen goods or the value of the items taken from the store.

Other Incidents Reported That Night

While the Solheimsviken theft dominated early reports, it was one of several disturbances logged by Bergen police that evening. At Legevakta, officers responded to a disturbance involving a man refusing to leave the premises. According to operations leader Tore-André Brakstad, the individual lay down on the floor and declined to cooperate with officers.

“He’s been asked multiple times to leave but just lies down,” Brakstad said. “He hasn’t made threats or acted violently.” The man was eventually taken to a drunk tank for temporary holding.

Shortly before 5 a.m. Friday, another incident occurred in Øygarden. A man was arrested for throwing a rock at a gas station window in Straume. He was transported to a local medical facility afterward, though police did not specify why.

Bus Theft Attempt Foiled

Earlier Thursday night, a separate attempted theft raised alarms near Oasen Terminal. A bus driver on break noticed his vehicle moving out of the terminal area without authorization. He flagged down a passing private car and gave chase.

Knut Dahl-Michelsen, an operations leader with Bergen police, described how the stolen bus turned around near the Løvstakktunnel roundabout and returned toward Lynghaug. There, the would-be thief abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot—but was quickly caught by the pursuing driver.

“By the time police arrived, the bus driver already had control of the suspect,” Dahl-Michelsen said. Investigators are still unclear about the suspect’s intended destination or motive. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Rescue at Bryggen Wharf

Later that same night, emergency crews rushed to Bryggen in central Bergen after receiving reports that two people had fallen into the water. Operations leader Bjarte Rebnord confirmed both individuals were pulled from the sea shortly before midnight.

“One was unconscious and taken away by ambulance,” Rebnord noted in the police log. “The other appeared unharmed but cold.” Neither identity nor cause of the fall has been released publicly.

A Night of Unusual Calls

Thursday’s events highlight how routine patrols can quickly shift due to unexpected tips—like a worried partner calling to find her boyfriend. In this case, that call directly led to solving a multi-person theft.

Police have not indicated whether the three detained men knew each other beyond the incident or if they have prior records. Immigration officials will decide whether to pursue deportation or other legal actions based on their status in Norway.

Meanwhile, the bus theft attempt stands out for its brazenness. Public transport vehicles are rarely targeted in such ways in Bergen, making the event notable among local law enforcement.

As dawn broke Friday, officers were still processing paperwork from the night’s string of calls—from waterfront rescues to rock-throwing vandalism. Each case, while separate, added to a busy shift marked by both confusion and quick resolutions.

What remains unclear is whether any of these incidents are connected. Police have not suggested links between the grocery store theft, the bus hijacking attempt, or the late-night disturbances. For now, they are treating each as an isolated event.

In Norway, petty thefts like shoplifting are common, but cases involving multiple suspects and foreign nationals often trigger additional scrutiny from immigration units. How these three young men ended up together in a Bergen grocery store—and why one’s girlfriend unknowingly helped police track them down—may never be fully explained.

But one thing is certain: sometimes, the most effective tip comes not from a witness or a camera, but from someone simply wondering where their loved one disappeared to.