Torrevieja Civil Guard has arrested in two Chilean men, aged 34 and 47, for the theft of two cars valued at 22,000 euros, and of a crime of belonging to a criminal group.
They have been charged on two counts of theft although another 13 are still being investigated. Both have been detained in prison awaiting trial.
After visiting his bank in the town of Bigastro, a man was returning home in his vehicle when he realised that he had one of his tyres was flat. As he pulled in to change the wheel two men stopped to ask him for directions.
While he spoke to one, the other stole a briefcase in which he had just collected 6,000 euros from the bank. He was the victim of a crime known as the “Peruvian method” whereby the offenders had punctured the tyre whilst he was busy in the bank.
The victim, reported the theft to the Civil Guard in Jacarilla. Fortunately he was able to describe their vehicle and it’s registration details which was traced to an address in Torrevieja.
Just two hours after the original theft the pair were under arrest. Inside their vehicle the Guardia found two mobile phones, two brand-name backpacks, several T-shirts, caps, glasses, and most significantly, a map of the Vega Baja on which they had recorded details of previous crimes and the routes that they had used to escape.
The Guardia are now investigating 13 similar thefts in the provinces of Alicante and Murcia, as well as an attempted robbery of 16,000 euros in the town of Aspe on June 7 this year.
