‘Generous’ Icelandic tourist arrested in Canary Islands

A tourist’s lavish night out in which he treated people to rounds of drinks to the value of €8,000 has ended in him being arrested by police.

A 66-year-old Icelandic man, who indulged in a wild spending spree, but then claimed he didn’t have the money to pay has been caught out in Tenerife.

The incident happened on a busy night in the south of Tenerife, when the tourist reported being violently robbed.

He claimed that the assailants made fraudulent transactions amounting to €8,000 using his stolen credit card. This report was made to the National Police which sparked an investigation into the alleged crime.

A night of deceit

The police, delving into the case, traced the transactions to a nightclub  venue in Tenerife’s vibrant southern region. However, upon further investigation a different story was revealed.

Eyewitness accounts and transaction records showed that the man had spent several hours at the venue. He indulged in numerous drinks and generously offered rounds to fellow patrons. Remarkably the spending spree exactly matched the amount he later reported as stolen.

Unravelling the truth

The police, armed with compelling evidence, confronted the tourist at his hotel. They arrested him for falsifying a crime report.

It is important to note that pretending to be a victim or perpetrator of a crime, or reporting a non-existent crime, is a legal offence. In such cases, the law stipulates a sentence ranging from six to 12 months.

This peculiar case serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of deceit. It highlights the diligence of the National Police in uncovering the truth, ensuring justice was served.