Police in the Ternopil Region were quoted by the Kriminal.tv crime website as saying that the four teens mostly stole chocolate bars and ice-cream, and that they were especially fond of Kinder Surprise.
Local police chief Alexander Oleinik was cited by the website as saying that all the teenagers were from poor families and that when apprehended they admitted to breaking into the shops to eat as many chocolates as they could.
The teenagers usually got into the shops through their roofs and targeted stores without alarm systems, often stealing alcohol to accompany their sugar-rich meals.
Regional media have labeled the teens the Karlsson gang, in reference to the Swedish fairy tale Karlsson-on-the-Roof by Astrid Lindgren. Popular all over the former Soviet Union, the story is about a chubby, occasionally overbearing red-cheeked man who lives on the roof and flies around town thanks to a propeller on his back. He is also very fond of sweets.
