A man in his early 30s was arrested in Dúrcal, suspected of being involved in at least six counts of using distraction to carry out theft outside banks and supermarkets.

These incidents amounted to a total of 15,000 euros as a result of incidents in Dúrcal, Nigüelas, and Armilla, among others. 

This type of ‘distraction theft’ involves using rental vehicles or false identities to scout supermarket car parks, shopping centres, and gasolineras. Criminals select victims who are returning from shopping or refuelling. 

Working in a  group, one or two members will ask for directions or claim an object has fallen on the ground to divert the victim’s attention from their belongings. Meanwhile, another member quickly steals the items and flees with the loot.

In the case of banks, one member watches customers inside and marks a target upon their exit so the rest of the group can intercept them. Additionally, at ATMs, they stand behind victims to observe their PIN codes, later stealing the bank card to make purchases at various establishments.

It was the Armilla-based Guardia Civil officers who carried out an investigation following several complaints. The incidents took place between October 2025 and January of this year. 

The officers were able to identify the arrested one man thanks to careful study of CCTV footage and positive identification by victims, leading also to confirming a total of five individuals belonging to this gang, as well as identifying two rental vehicles used in the crimes.

(News: Dúrcal, Valle de Lecrin, Granada, Andalucia)

Keywords: Distraction Theft, Arrested, Identified, CCTV Footage, Banks, Supermarkets, Car Parks, Gasolineras

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