Woman arrested on Costa del Sol for 'love hug' thefts that targeted tourists

A 24-year-old woman has been arrested in Benalmádena on the Costa del Sol for allegedly committing 'love hug' thefts. The arrested woman had several charges against her name in force from different provinces in Spain in relation to this type of criminal practice that consists of stealing jewellery by suddenly approaching people in an unsuspecting way by giving them a hug or caresses, the National Police said in a statement.

The arrest was made on 25 May by officers from Estepona who confirmed that an investigation group from the Torremolinos-Benalmádena police station was seeking the arrest of the woman for the alleged theft of a luxury watch valued at 25,000 euros from a resident of Torremolinos, using the 'love hug' theft technique on 17 May.

After her arrest, the police verified that this same person had four other search and arrest warrants issued by the courts of Roquetas de Mar, in Almería, and the courts of Torrevieja and Elche, in Alicante, for crimes against property.

According to the investigation, the woman was part of a network dedicated to 'amorous thefts', which rotated its members around different provinces of the country, especially in coastal resort with a large number of tourists.