Gang arrested on the Costa del Sol for stealing tourists' wallets on local Cercanías trains

Police caught four of the thieves in the act during an undercover surveillance operation as they tried to steal a passenger's personal belongings

SUR

Monday, 16 December 2024, 14:58

The National Police have dismantled a gang which targeted tourists and stole their wallets on the Costa del Sol's Cercanías trains. Officers arrested six members of the criminal organisation, four of them in the act after they tried to steal a passenger's wallet aboard a train.

While searching a house - where two of the other gang members were arrested - officers seized 425 euros, several backpacks, caps and sunglasses that had been stolen from passengers. The thieves took advantage of crowds of people to steal wallets and/or cards that they would then later use to make purchases or withdraw cash from ATMs, according to investigators.

The police investigation started following several thefts committed in the area of the Plaza Mayor train station. A police surveillance operation covering the affected area was then set up in order to identify and arrest those responsible.

The thieves would often surround the victim to hinder their access to the train and distract them while another member of the group stole their wallet, according to investigators. The suspects would then go to nearby ATMs to withdraw cash and to shopping centres in the area where they would make fraudulent purchases, police said.

A judge ordered those arrested, five men and a woman, to be banned from using the Cercanías trains on the Malaga-Fuengirola line.

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