Lummen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Early Friday, May 30, 2025, burglars stole ~50 trumpets (€150,000) from Rudi Jongen’s Lummen music store, marking the fifth break-in in 9 years; police are investigating using video footage.
As VRT news reported, early Friday, May 30, 2025, around 2:00 AM, a music store in Lummen was targeted by burglars. They used a sledgehammer to break the front display case. The thieves made a hole in the back of the store and moved a rack slowly to prevent the alarm from triggering.
This allowed them to reach the valuable trumpets. They stole around 50 trumpets, each valued between €3,000 and €4,000. The total value of the stolen instruments was about €150,000. The burglars escaped before the alarm was fully activated.
Will police catch thieves behind the fifth break-in at Lummen Music Store?
Rudi Jongen’s music store was hit by another break-in, just before a planned security upgrade. The new alarm system was set to be installed next week, which Rudi believes could have prevented the theft. Now, the store will take extra steps to protect itself, including installing metal bars on the windows.
This comes after 5 burglaries in 9 years, and Rudi is exhausted by the constant stress and financial losses. The police are actively investigating the break-in at Rudi Jongen’s music store, using video footage from inside the shop as evidence. Rudi is also hoping that security cameras along nearby roads will provide more clues, as anyone driving around at 2:00 AM might be suspicious.
He believes tracing vehicles could help catch the thieves, who he suspects are professionals. While waiting for updates, Rudi is focused on improving the store’s security. However, he knows that without a successful police investigation, the fear of another break-in will continue to worry him.
The previous incident occurred in March 2025, with a similar method used. Store manager Rudi Jongen suspects the same group is responsible, possibly targeting specific orders or operating in a black market for musical instruments.
Along with the stolen trumpets, the store now has significant damage. This includes a shattered display case, ruined signage, and internal destruction. The repeated attacks have caused financial losses to the business.
