A SHAMELESS thief accused of pinching bags off Brit holidaymakers while they were serving themselves plates of breakfast buffets has been arrested.
The rampage of breakfast thefts spread across several different hotels across Costa Blanca in Benidorm.
The suspected bandit being marched off by police Credit: Solarpix
The suspect is accused of striking during the first meal of the day Credit: Solarpix
The 43-year-old scoped out his victims in advance – and when he spotted an opportunity, he bagged the holidaymaker’s belongings, cops say.
More than a dozen bags and belongings were snatched off the backs of chairs and smuggled away under the suspect‘s clothes.
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The garment hid the bandit’s suspicious movements while allegedly robbing guests, reported local paper Diario Alicante.
Stricken tourists raced to the police and told of a thief who struck during the hotel’s breakfast buffet serving hours.
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Cops connected the dots and realised that the thief was operating under “the same modus operandi”.
National Police in Alicante, which covers the Benidorm region, said: “All of them indicated that while they were having breakfast in the dining rooms of different hotels, they left their handbags hanging on the backs of their chairs and, when they got up for a few moments to serve themselves breakfast, they found upon returning that their belongings had disappeared.
Brit families are among the alleged victims of the early-morning fiend.
The thief used the “distraction theft method” in order to steal “handbags, phones, or wallets of hotel guests”, cops say.
Costa Blanca is popular with Brit tourists – who are alleged to have been victims of the suspected breakfast bandit Credit: Solarpix
The 43-year-old targeted several hotels across Benidorm Credit: Solarpix
They added: “The alleged perpetrator previously selected his victims from the area outside the dining rooms.
“Once he spotted an opportunity, he entered the establishment and headed to the chosen table.
“After taking advantage of the moment when the victim was away, he positioned himself next to the back of the chair and, using a garment as a ‘cover’ to conceal his movements, stole the handbag without arousing suspicion, later leaving the place with the stolen items hidden under the aforementioned garment.
Following an investigation, cops arrested the sandal-wearing suspect.
He has been charged with 15 counts of theft.
Police have not ruled out the possibility that he may have committed more thefts as yet uncovered, reported local media.
The name and nationality of the suspect has not been made public.
He has already been brought to court in the town of Benidorm.
Cops in the US had a much harder time chasing down a suspected thief – who lead them in circles around a tree.
In what may have been the world’s slowest police chase, a siren-blaring cop car can be seen hunting down another vehicle – manned by a 14-year-old.
Footage shows the driver doing loop-de-loops around a tree while the police tail behind.
