Criminal group used a motorhome to steal from tourists in Spain

A group of roaming burglars used a motorhome to travel around Spain, targeting popular tourist hotspots and causing up to £174,000 in economic damage, police say.

Spain’s national police revealed on Tuesday 30 December that it has solved 25 property crimes committed in areas such as Valencia, Andalusia, the Balearic Islands and Madrid.

Four members of a “travelling criminal group” have been arrested, all of whom had multiple false identities and documents. One reportedly used up to 24 different identities.

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The individuals resided in Nice, but travelled by motorhome across Spain, allegedly to commit robberies and thefts in affluent areas and tourist hotspots.

Police say they detected the group’s journey from France to the Costa del Sol in a motorhome, where they arrested four members and seized €24,000 (£20,000) in cash, as well as electronic devices and jewellery, all stashed inside various compartments of the vehicle.

The police posted a video online of the motorhome raid, where officers can be seen pulling out items including foreign currency, a gold Franc coin, jewellery hidden in socks, AirPods and laptops wrapped in tinfoil and camera equipment.

The investigation began in September following the theft of a safe from a shopping centre in Elche, Alicante, where around €8,800 (£7,670) in cash was stolen.

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Officers then identified the suspects as a criminal group which largely commits property crimes while travelling from place to place.

Police were able to link them to other alleged crimes, such as the theft of €60,000 (£52,000) in cash from an armoured van in Ibiza.

Always targeting high-income and tourist areas, police said the group conducted surveillance and tracking before they went ahead with a burglary or theft.

The group’s objective was to steal money, jewellery and electronic devices to sell on the black market, police said.

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The detainees, all of whom have been remanded in custody, are implicated in up to 25 property crimes that caused financial losses of nearly €200,000 (£174,000).

While police say this group focused on burglary and safe theft, pickpocketing is also a common method of theft in popular tourist areas.

Ex-detective Rebecca Mason told BBC Morning Live that you are most likely to be pickpocketed next to large attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Read more: British tourist in Mallorca robbed of £35k Rolex watch