Laurence Dollimore
A BRITISH sex shop owner has become the latest victim of a wave of robberies rocking the Marbella area.
Laura Tona, 43, owner of Boudoir Boutique in Nueva Andalucia, is one of over ten victims of the gang over the last few weeks.
“I was fortunate that they took nothing, but others have not been so lucky,” Tona told the Olive Press.
“I wish they could be stopped, they’re ruining people’s businesses, you would think someone would have put an end to it by now.”
Expat Tom Gagen, 34, who owns the Den Bar in Nueva Andalucia, has had three robberies at his expat haunt in just two months.
“They first hit us on December 12 and again a few a weeks later, they went straight for the cash in the till and took our safe, they took thousands.”
Gagen, from Sheffield, stepped up his security, but that didn’t stop them trying again just last week.
“Unbelievably they came back but I was here and made enough noise to scare them off, it’s ridiculous, people are turning up to their businesses not knowing what they’re going to find.”
He added: “I haven’t heard a thing since reporting the crime to the police.”
During the same night, nearby restaurant Vovem was hit in the early hours and had a ‘considerable amount’ – at least €2,000 – stolen from the register.
It was the third time they were targeted in just two weeks.
Meanwhile, just around the corner, Scottish expat David Morrison, from Galloway, has had his Scandi Supermarket and house robbed.
“They emptied the cash register and stole cash from our home,” said Morrison, “we reported it to the police but they haven’t been in touch since.”
On the same night, two men in balaclavas brandishing crowbars stormed into the nearby Coviran supermarket and ripped out the cash register before speeding off on a moped.
Bar Grana, the Los Naranjos chicken shop, the Taj Mahal restaurant, Antonio’s restaurant, the Makkafe cafe and others have all also been targeted since January.
The group are now getting together to demand action from the police.
“It is not good enough what is being done,” said Morrison. “It is a big problem.”
National Police insisted they could not comment on the cases ‘at this time’.
If you want less crime, consider moving out of the Marbella area. I found the lack of police presence in Nueva Andalucia quite shocking when I had an office there a few years ago. There were so many instances of pick-pocketing, break-ins, and theft on an almost daily basis. It is also a con man’s paradise. There is crime everywhere, of course, but this particular area is a magnet for people with nefarious intentions.
As we all know, most of the crimes in Southern Spain are committed by British criminals, gangs, etc.
But, what can you expect when they have been bred there:
“Violent crime jumps 27 per cent in new figures released by the Office for National Statistics
Violence recorded by the police rose by 185,000 offences in the year to September”
@Bluemoon: what drugs are you on, and can i have some? Sorry, but your lame attempt at trolling wont work. Your ridiculous claims are sooooo far removed from the truth they are mildly amusing at best.
Marbella is world famous for the place to retire when you’re a thief, con man, banker, or any other kind of lowlife with loads-of-(illegal)-money. Of course law enforcement is a rare sight there. Thats its selling point.
I didn’t know that most of the crime in Southern Spain is caused by the British – you’ll need some data to back up such a sweeping statement, but I don’t think you’ll be rushing to provide that somehow lol. You must refer to a very small part of the Costa del Sol, perhaps around Marbella, which of course is only a tiny part of “Southern Spain” as a whole. I think you see a few fugitives faces in Crimestoppers and conflate that with the whole of Southern Spain.
Fred – the fake Bluemoon is just a Spanish troll. However if the real Bluemoon (me) ever finds out who the faker is then maybe his statistics about the British being the cause of violence in Spain may have some substance.
Would be nice if OP could stop him using my nickname but I am guessing they can’t.
I know, and in future I will make reference to the troll. The OP should bring in user registrations and allow existing, long-term posters, to claim their name, otherwise the comments section can be abused.