Overview
- A man had a briefcase stolen in a central Vigo park in late August while briefly distracted; the case held €1,500 in cash, several bank cards and a mobile phone.
- The thieves later contacted the victim, demanded €20 to return the case, and told him where to collect it; after paying he found the cash, cards and phone missing.
- Officers from the Grupo Operativo de Policía Judicial of the Vigo-Redondela station investigated and identified two suspects before arresting them in the early hours of Thursday, September 10.
- Both men face charges of hurto (theft) and extorsión (extortion), and a judge has ordered pretrial imprisonment for one of the suspects while the case continues through the courts.
- Police say the episode follows a common ruse in which thieves steal a container and then demand a small payment to return the empty item, and the arrest highlights a local effort to curb this tactic and warn residents to keep valuables secure.