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Damage caused at a restaurant last week. Sur
Concerns rise over an increase in break-ins and theft in restaurants in Malaga
Crime

Concerns rise over an increase in break-ins and theft in restaurants in Malaga

Hoteliers are calling for an increase in police vigilance to put an end to this recurring type of incident in the city

Juan Soto

Málaga

Monday, 13 January 2025, 17:16

Bar and restaurant owners in Malaga have raised their concerns about a situation they have been suffering for some time: express break-ins. Four cases have been confirmed by SUR in the last month, all characterised by the speed with which they take place and the damage caused to the premises. Now the hospitality sector is calling for stronger protection measures against such crime.

The mechanics of the robberies are always the same: one or several hooded men enter the closed premises and take the little money that is left at night, before running away. Their actions last only a few minutes, so by the time the police or security guards show up, there is no one to be found.

The most recent known case occurred on Wednesday last week at Verum, a well-known restaurant in the Cerrado de Calderón district of Malaga city. However, this wave of robberies is not confined to a specific area of the city. The latest reported robberies have taken place in the east district (in Cerrado de Calderón), in the area around Huelin and around the city centre. Just last week, the National Police caught a group that has been operating mainly in the northern area of Malaga.

Business owners in the city centre report the theft of handbags and mobile phones, both from customers and staff

In addition to Verum, robbers have also been active in other well-known restaurants in the city, such as C&C, Kraken and Florida Huelin. "They don't take much money, because revenue is taken away every day and only a minimum amount is left in the till. The most significant issue is the damage they leave behind," said the victims.

As mentioned above, this type of robbery always follows the same pattern: robbers break the glass at the entrance with a blunt object; they enter the premises, hiding their faces behind a helmet or a balaclava and go straight to the cash register, which they break to take what is inside. They usually wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints and go straight for the money, without paying attention to other valuables that may be in the restaurants, because they are more difficult to transport (unless they come across the tablets that are used as controllers).

The thefts are of small amounts, as no business owner leaves the day's earnings in the restaurant. Victims explain that only some small change is left in the tills. "If thieves knew this, we would avoid all the thefts."

The Malaga Hoteliers' Association (Mahos) considers this to be "a concerning matter" and is therefore calling for greater police vigilance throughout the city. "Malaga is a safe city, but these incidents must be stopped as soon as possible," said the president of the association, Javier Frutos.

Frutos is aware that "in recent months, several cases have been detected in different areas of the city, all carried out following the same pattern." He called for a greater police effort. "It is a reality that must be dealt with, for the safety of the workers, as well as for the obvious economic damage such crimes generate for companies." Nevertheless, he insisted that these are "isolated cases" and hopes they will not escalate.

An increase in minor theft

Business owners operating in the centre of Malaga have also warned of the increase in other types of crime: pickpocketing and minor theft. Various restaurateurs have warned about an increasing number of people who go around restaurants "to see what they can pick up".

They explained that these are people who try to gain access to the inside of the restaurants and even to the areas reserved for employees, in order to take whatever they can find, such as bags or mobile phones. "You have to be very careful, because if they find an open door they will sneak in."

Usually, the people behind such incidents, restaurateurs explained, are not organised groups, but rather homeless people or people simply passing by and taking advantage of the busiest times of the day to carry out their theft.

"Often, you might even mistake them for customers. The other day we caught one as she was leaving the premises with a bag that wasn't hers and she told us she had found it," they said, hoping to raise awareness among all business owners and staff.

They also want to warn customers, especially those who sit on the terraces. "They should keep an eye on their belongings and be careful not to leave their mobile phones or bags on the table, to avoid incidents, as thieves also wander between the tables." Without wishing to create unnecessary alarm, they said, "It is better to be safe than to suffer a theft that nobody wants."

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surinenglish Concerns rise over an increase in break-ins and theft in restaurants in Malaga