Photo used for illustrative purpose.

Berlin police announced on Friday the arrest of four men suspected of breaking into as many as 500 paid-entry public toilets to steal money from their coin boxes.

The men, aged between 33 and 48, were arrested after the Berlin police registered almost 500 toilet break-ins since December. Three of the men were caught in the act on Wednesday.

“Numerous coins were found with them, which were confiscated as suspected stolen goods,” the police said in a statement, adding that they had also confiscated their tools, including screwdrivers.

The police declined to say how much cash had been confiscated during the operation, adding that the investigation was ongoing.

The cost of entering a public toiletin Berlin is often 0.5 euros ($0.57). Many of the facilities are operated by Wall AG. In 2020, the number of property damage crimes rose 6.3% year-on-year to more than 46,700 cases, police data showed.

Reuters