Stay safe

Just read about this online, if it is right, not nice so just for everyone to be vigilant ......................

This has just been passed to me by a friend. 
THEFT WITH VIOLENCE
On Wednesday evening, 5th November, a husband and wife had just left the 
terminal building at San Javier Airport and were approaching the road 
crossing to the car park area when they were robbed. A car raced up to 
the crossing stopped and two men leaped out of the car, one violently 
shoved the husband to the floor and stole their case whilst the other 
snatched the wife's handbag. The two men then quickly returned to the 
car which accelerated away with spinning wheels and raced off at high 
speed. The handbag contained all their money, bank cards and passports. 
Although the Guardia were present the incident was over on a matter of a 
few seconds and the car had disappeared before they could react. This 
is an escalation with a certain amount of violence that has not been 
apparent on other thefts at our airports, please warn all neighbours and 
friends to be extra vigilant when arriving at and departing from 
airports and advise them to keep all valuables on their person 
preferably in a front pocket or waist bag hidden under a top or jacket.

It is good advice that one should be vigilant and take care not to make theft easy, 

That said I have a police background in UK, and have lived in Spain for over 25 years and have 15 years experience of people reporting crime in Spain, I can say with confidence that crime levels in Spain are considerably lower than in many countries and  much lower than in UK.   

So be careful but do not be fearful.

PS   The post does not ring true to me. It reads like a paragraph from a novel and is far from anything I  have heard described when crimes are actually being reported, to the extent that it appears to me to be a hoax, or at the least an extreme exaggeration.

This message was last edited by johnzx on 09/11/2014.

if true what a sad story

** EDITED - **

Saying that good advice

I had a friend who was a retired forensics officer, first time I have ever mentioned this, he told me that in all his years as a police officer, young man to retired in the police,  he was always shocked at the cruelty of the human being, animals had nothing to what humans could do to another human, so do I believe the post, yes.

The article is probably 3 or 4 times written or reported so differs a little, and just because someone thinks that crime is lower in Spain then the UK doesn't mean this never happened, we all know as in the UK thousands of crimes go unreported because the police are crap when it comes to looking into only what they want to. How many go unreported in Spain, or dropped of the end of the desk.

I bet it was more then likely done by the rubbish immigrants rather then the Spanish though.

baz - I assume you include expats in the rubbish immigrants

if true (no reason to doubt it) then it is a social (human) problem

Nothing to do with nationaility and shows people are getting desparate

Human beings are very cruel to each other when allowed or encouraged to do so (e.g. wars, relgion etc) and our control of this with our authorities is blinkered far too often by the do gooders and soft attitudes of the courts when they are caught

baz - I assume you include expats in the rubbish immigrants

Yes, I do, and as you say when these people do get caught, IF they do, always someone comes up with a thousand reason as to why they should be let of lightly.

For to long now it seems anyone thinks they can do what they like to another person and get away with it, but when its payback time the tears come.

Good and bad in all people, everywhere, some just have better morels then others.

Still think this story is true and not a hoax.

baz - completley agree

see my last post was edited someone must have disliked or complained about it no expanation  - thought it was harmless ah well never mind just a bit of fun

Johnzx- having been robbed myself at San Javier airport many years ago , I can well believe this is true

There have been so many reports of thefts at airports

I was the victim of a distraction crime. These thieves are so slick and quick; I felt angry with myself afterwards

I would say Ladies- give up the handbag because it gets put down on the floor, shopping trolley,table, seat well in the car and is easy pickings for an opportunist thief.

A shoulder bag across the body is better, or a sturdy bum bag

It sounds awful to say it, but  Trust nobody

Just for the record:

All crimes reported in Spain get a unique number on the computerised system. The number once entered, and thus the report,  cannot be removed or amended.  To amend an allegation, say add other items of property which the victim forgot to mention, requires a new number which is cross referenced.to the original report.

 All crimes reported, after any initial action required, go to a judge who decides if and what action should be taken.

I wish that every place that we have stayed in had what we take for granted at home, that being a safe.

Even then don’t be complacent

Last week I was aware of a theft from a 4 star hotel,  which involved some sterling and some euros being taken from an envelope, in a locked safe.

The victim checked their safe contents when another guest said they thought some money (i.e. not all) had gone missing from the safe in their room

Yes those Mickey Mouse safes are neither use nor ornament, what you need is a safe that you can input your own combination into. 

In the case I mentioned, it was the type with a master key which over-rides the combination entered by the guest.  Unless one were to use a safe within the reception, I don’t see how any other safe could be used in a hotel.    If it had a key,  that could be copied, and if it could not be over-ridden, then when a guest forgets the number they had entered,  the safe would probably have to be cut open. 

 I hope that in the  case I mentioned, the police will find the culprit,  as it is almost certainly a member of staff, using the ‘weeding MO’ to avoid losers realising they have been victims and thus prolonging their reign of dishonesty.

We're heading in the direction of a cashless society, and even then your card can be cloned, what a crap world we live in. 

In the case I mentioned,   I suggested that the victims ask for the complaints form as the hotel have almost certainly failed to protect them.  I think if they pursue it the hotel will pay.

The problem is that the victims are English, on holiday with Thompson's (they say the Rep.  is useless and is leaving the company in two weeks) and they of course do not speak Spanish.  

 I also said they should have a go at claiming from Thompson's too.  But I bet they won't do it.

Out of curiosity, I gave them my email and asked them to let me know what happens. I am not holding my breath.

Hi Flossy!  Been ages! Hope all's well with you. Did you finally get to be here more than there? 

I  think it's rife everywhere especially coming up to a Christmas. I saw this the other day in a local forum to me. 

"My hubby was collecting our neighbours at approx. 7.30pm.

They walked out of the arrivals and crossed over to the ticket machine. While my hubby was paying the ticket he heard a commotion turned around and both were on the floor. He heard the wife say "he's got our bag" and my hubby then saw someone running away. He gave chase, but an Audio car was waiting and the thief jumped in and away they went.
The bag contained their medication for the next 2 months. The thief had tried to grab the ladies hand bag, but the strap broke and she managed to hold on to the bag. So instead he grabbed the larger carry on bag.

The Man is quite badly injured. A few years ago he had reconstruction work on his shoulder. He fell on the same shoulder and it's all in pieces. He spent the night in Torrevieja Hospital and the doctors there don't really want to operate on him as the pins a plates are now all messed up.

The couple are now desperately trying to get flights back home, but that doesn't look too promising either."

As a retired registered insurance broker, I suggest that they claim on their travel insurance policy (if applicable) and leave the insurance company to claim off whoever they consider to be culpable. 

Although I don't believe this is a fabrication of an event I dont believe the incident took place at San Javier.  

The  layout of the airport isn't practical for a quick getaway and disappear jobbie because the heisters only means of escape is to drive via the outer ring of this small airport first and details of the vehicle would be clearly seen without having to physically follow it.  Plus, thisismurciatoday mentioned the airport this week and didn't report it...not that that probably means much....

However the reality is bag snatching and worse is a daily occurrence somewhere and if mentioning incidents keeps us aware and complacency at bay then it is all for the good.

Hi More,

Yes, we are fine, still working so twice a year for us .

I have always been vigilant all the years we have been coming over to Spain. But, took my eye off the ball for 5 seconds, if that, at the local market earlier this year and handbag gone with passport, driving licence etc. Never carry it with me as a rule, but did this day for some reason!! When I was at the British consulate in Alicante getting an emergency passport (bloody nightmare) there were quite a few people there with some stories to tell. One of them being, they were waiting to be picked up from san Javier and their flight bags were stolen right from under their noses so quickly they didn't stand a chance.  

As for the post I originally posted, being a hoax, as I said "If it is right" . I wouldn't put anything past these robbing *******s!!! They are thinking of new scams all the time. So, as I said, forewarned is forearmed 

baz - completley agree

see my last post was edited someone must have disliked or complained about it no expanation  - thought it was harmless ah well never mind just a bit of fun

Yes I noticed that, well Tad you still have a long way to go to beat me, I got a thumbs down from the jerkoff for an empty page.