The Guardia Civil in Órgiva (Alpujarra) have arrested a Dutch couple, aged 47 & 32, accused of looting the contents of a cortijo.

The couple, who both have criminal records, according to the press release, threw out the people who were looking after the cortijo for the owner and moved in themselves for around a month, during which time they took possession of the owner’s car and sold off the contents of the cortijo.

The incident began around mid February in an area known as the Camino de Pago. The owner had to returned to England for health reasons and left the keys with some friends.

However, the Dutch couple allegedly managed to get rid of the caretakers using threats and move in themselves.

Then came the 15th of March when the owner returned and discovered the situation – he lost no time in reporting the situation to the Guardia Civil post in Órgiva (See photo).

The owner’s statement included the fact that the couple had broken the electrical installations and had sold off three car engines, the butane bottles and some of his clothes.

The Guardia Civil soon tracked down the couple to a parked camper van on the outskirts of Órgiva, where they were now living with their two young children.

The Dutchman had previously suffered health problems after the small drugs packages that he had hidden in his stomach to avoid detection at border controls ruptured.

(News: Orgiva, Alpujarra, Granada, Andalucia)