Three Serbian nationals arrested for stealing belongings from travellers at Valencia Airport

The National Police arrested three men of Serbian origin at Valencia Airport on suspicion of stealing belongings from travellers.

As reported in a statement from the National Police this Sunday, April 16, officers arrested three men at Valencia airport suspected of being the alleged perpetrators of four theft offences at the facility between the months of November 2022 and March of this year.

The detainees, aged between 49 and 52, allegedly stole bags and backpacks from travellers on at least four occasions. They reportedly operated in a coordinated manner and in the busiest areas of the airport. Their arrests took place last Wednesday 12, in the departures area of the terminal.

Specifically, they are considered to be the perpetrators of the theft of three bags and a backpack from four travellers. These contained, among other things, €3,000 in cash, a mobile phone, jewellery, and a camera. The suspects always wore a cap and surgical mask to avoid being recognised and empty backpacks to put the stolen bags inside.

They also used to carry clothes inside the packs to change into after the crime to make it more difficult for the authorities to identify them. Allegedly they made use of hands-free telephone headsets and, while one of them allegedly carried out surveillance work, another one distracted the victim while a third one stole the victim’s belongings.

The alleged perpetrators travelled to the airport in a rented vehicle and went to the areas with the greatest influx of people, such as the baggage check-in area, the cafeteria, and the car rental area. They usually searched for small bags or backpacks there, in which travellers usually carry their most valuable belongings.

After several investigations, police officers arrested the three men, of Serbian origin, as alleged perpetrators of four theft offences. Two wireless headphones were seized, as well as clothes and accessories allegedly used during the thefts.

The arrested men, who have a police record for similar offences, were found to be in an irregular situation in Spain, and have already appeared before the courts, as reported by levante-emv.com.

A reminder to travellers from the National Police advised them not to lose sight of their belongings and not to carry everything of value in the same place. These valuables should be distributed in different pieces of luggage and never left in plain sight.