The 21-year-old is believed to have hidden behind a refrigerator in an Elgiganten store in Karlstad. Once staff left for the evening he promptly helped himself to an assortment of electronic items, filling up a sack marked 'Merry Christmas' with mobile phones and tablet computers.
However, the thief's attempts to leave the premises failed.
"He tried to escape through the doors and then he tried through the warehouse to get out but he wasn't successful. He was then arrested inside the store," Bo Jansson of the Värmland police told the Värmlands Folkblad newspaper.
Police said the man's escape attempts triggered a host of alarms in the store. When the authorities arrived on the scene the thief immediately surrendered.
It is estimated that the goods he tried to steal were worth around 200,000 kronor ($26,500).
"As you can see on the CCTV footage, I am not a good professional thief," the man told police when he was questioned.
He was subsequently arrested on attempted serious robbery charges.
TT/The Local/pr
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