The two men in their 40s, originally from Ethiopia, were recently convicted of theft by a court in the region of Vaud Nord, 20 Minutes reported on Monday.
Police discovered brand-name watches, mobile phones, GPS devices, computers and even an electric remover amidst the 6,000 francs’ worth of stolen items in the apartments of the former part-time employees.
The merchandise, still packaged, was uncovered in searches made by officers in the summer of 2012, according to the report.
The men justified their actions by saying their pay was too low for work they were doing at the Daillens postal sorting centre, 20 Minutes said, citing evidence from the court.
The pair were each earning a little more than 2,000 francs a month for their part-time work, although it is not clear how many hours they worked.
The pay was less than the 3,310 francs monthly job seeker’s allowance earned by one of the men.
The thieves were caught red-handed by a video surveillance camera after Swiss Post noticed that parcels were mysteriously disappearing from the sorting centre.
Swiss Post said the parcels were not insured.
“I don’t know why I stole,” one of the convicted men told the court, according to 20 Minutes.
“I wanted to have the latest trendy telephone,” he said.
“I was ashamed to tell my wife.”
The two men each received a suspended fine but were ordered to pay 18,000 francs in costs.
They earlier lost their jobs once the pilfering of packages came to light, 20 Minutes said.
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