A young man wearing a cap, shorts and a dark t-shirt approaches two middle-aged men who are walking up some stairs. He starts a brief conversation, as if he were asking them something, and they stand for a few seconds. Afterwards, everyone walks again and continues talking. From behind, another man, also wearing a cap, approaches at some distance. It seems that the conversation has ended, but the young man dressed in dark clothes continues walking parallel to the two middle-aged men, until, with a quick movement, he snatches a watch from their wrist and runs away. The men throw the backpack on the ground and begin to chase him. The sequence lasts just 30 seconds.
This theft from tourists, recorded by security cameras, occurred in Malaga, one of the favorite destinations of networks specialized in the theft of luxury watches such as Rolex, Patek Philippe or Cartier. With the good weather and the use of clothes that reveal wrists that wear real fortunes, some of the watches stolen this year reached 100,000 euros. If in recent years it was fashionable for watches they will fly After a motorcycle approached the victims, lately, thieves looking for these jewels choose to approach them on foot. “The methods are changing,” explained this Tuesday Álvaro Álvarez, chief inspector of the Central Specialized and Violent Crime Unit (Udev Central) of the Police.
These types of criminals look for watches to steal in shopping and leisure areas, outdoor parking lots or around luxury hotels. They approach their victims on the street, at times when they are most relaxed, such as on vacation or while they are partying. They also prey on vulnerable people. “They seek to facilitate crime,” maintains the chief inspector. They try not to use violence, but they also do not hesitate to commit it if they encounter resistance. Last August, a victim who struggled with the thief was beaten and died after falling to the ground in Ibiza.
Just a week ago, last Wednesday, two of these thieves performed the mataleón, a technique that consists of strangling a person from behind so that they lose consciousness, on a 36-year-old man in Madrid. The victim, a Mexican tourist, was climbing some stairs near a five-star hotel located on Paseo de la Castellana. A Rolex valued at 36,000 euros was stolen from him. The owner of the watch, who did not suffer serious damage, reported what happened and a suspect was arrested the next day. The arrested person, with a criminal record and a brother arrested in Barcelona for similar acts, kept 8,400 euros in cash in his home.
The money seized shows how quickly luxury watches change hands after being stolen, sources in the investigation explain. The watches sought by these criminal networks usually exceed 5,000 euros. After theft, the value can drop by half, although it depends on the models. The most common thing is that these jewels leave the country in the following hours, either on someone’s wrist, or by other methods, such as hidden in vehicle compartments or through shipments.
Since the beginning of the year, the Police have had a new team of agents in charge of permanently investigating the activity of these criminal groups. The group, made up of six police officers, coordinates from the General Judicial Police Station the actions of other specialized teams distributed in areas of Spain, such as the Costa del Sol, Balearic Islands, Madrid or Barcelona, with special attention to the international dimension, characteristic of these crimes.
Barcelona as a base for networks
The itinerant nature of these criminal groups makes investigations especially complex, hence the need to be in contact with police from other countries, such as France, which also suffer this type of robbery. Spanish agents have already collaborated with police from other countries in mass or special interest events, such as the Oktoberfest, which is held between September and October in Munich, and will soon attend the Cannes Film Festival, which is held from May 12 to 23.
In Spain, most of these networks are based in the city of Barcelona. From there, they move groups to different parts of the country, especially to Madrid, Málaga, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca, Marbella or Ibiza. Its favorite areas are those that have a high concentration of businesses linked to luxury and tourists with great purchasing power. The organizations under investigation provide their members with the logistics to act, such as false documentation, accommodation or vehicles, and in their attacks, the thieves cover their faces with caps, masks or sunglasses.
In the first four months, the new Police group has arrested 33 people in Spain and another person in France as members of these traveling networks specialized in the theft of luxury watches. The agents have solved 41 robberies with violence, one theft, one homicide and three crimes of injury. In addition, they have 43 people identified and pending arrest.
