Four individuals arrested suspected of credit card thefts from Costa del Sol golf courses

Four individuals arrested suspected of credit card thefts from Costa del Sol golf courses

Image of a golf ball being putted. Credit: kasakphoto / shutterstock.com

Four individuals have been arrested by the National Police for stealing credit cards from players at golf courses in the municipalities of Marbella and Estepona on the Costa del Sol.

National Police officers from the Malaga municipality of Estepona arrested four individuals suspected of stealing the belongings from premises on Costa del Sol golf courses. Specifically, the thieves targeted facilities in Estepona and Marbella regions.

As reported by malagahoy.es on Thursday, December 1, the thieves always used the same modus operandi. They entered the courses posing as users of the sports facilities looking to take advantage of any careless mistake by the players to snatch the belongings they left in their buggies.

In total, four people – two men and two women between the ages of 33 and 37 – have been arrested for their alleged involvement with these incidents.

The investigation began in mid-September following a complaint from a foreign tourist. She reported to the Provincial Police Station in Malaga that she had been the victim of a careless theft of her bag, at a golf course.

She explained that among the effects stolen were several bank cards which somebody had used to made up to 24 charges in different establishments. A total of €3,000 was made to her cards.

Although this complaint was not an isolated case, around the same time, the police received another seven complaints related to similar events. In each case, the victims reported that the alleged thieves used a similar modus operandi and all the thefts had occurred in Marbella and Estepona golf courses. All cases turned out to be golfers who were on holiday on the coast.

According to the investigations carried out by the police, the four criminals entered the facilities, commited their crimes hurriedly left the scene in a vehicle.

It was quickly discovered they the crooks made use of the stolen bank cards immediately, before they were canceled by their owners. They made purchases in various establishments for small amounts, with the aim of avoiding the fraud prevention systems of the card issuers.

Finally, the investigative procedures allowed the identification and arrest of the alleged perpetrators. They were attributed seven crimes of theft and five of fraud. The vehicle in which they were traveling was also seized. Estepona Investigating Court No4 has been presented with the relevant facts.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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