Alex Trelinski
A FOREIGN tourist in Benidorm had his wallet stolen and got nine transaction notifications using his missing credit card within minutes.
Nevertheless, the Policia Nacional arrested the two men behind the theft and a shop manager who used the card – just 20 minutes after the robbery.
The holidaymaker was returning at dawn to his apartment when his wallet was pinched by a man who then fled on a motorbike driven by a colleague.
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The victim called the police with patrols looking for the culprits in the Old Town area.
Officers and the tourist watched the card charges rack up on his phone app, but helped by a description of the getaway bike, it was soon spotted outside a business.
The name of the premises matched one of the charges recorded on the victim’s online account.
Police officers covered the building exits after spotting three men inside, two of whom tried to escape.
One of the trio had US dollar bills, UK pounds and Brazilian currency in his pockets.
An officer spotted the store manager go into a corner where he threw four pieces of a cut-up credit card that was in the tourist’s name.
The man also had a health card that did not belong to him.
The police then analysed three payment terminals at the counter, which showed up all of the purchase statements made on the stolen card.
€2,610 was also found in the cash till, which officially recorded just €3 of business that day.
The three suspects were arrested for theft, fraud, money laundering and belonging to a criminal group.
