La Nucia couple held over bogus safe theft

A SPANISH man, 45, and a Romanian woman, 30, have been arrested in La Nucia on suspicion of attempting an insurance scam. The couple filed a complaint with police on April 17, claiming that their La Nucia home had been the subject of a theft whilst they were away from the premises.

They listed as being stolen, goods and cash at an estimated value by them of €90,000, including cash, jewellery, a safe (weighing over 300 kilos), a stereo system, camera and sunglasses La Nucia is unique in Spain, in having CCTV on a scale equivalent to UK standards, and so the Guardia were able to locate on the town’s security recordings, the arrival of a van at the time specified by the complainants.

They also saw three masked men exit the van, break the house window, enter the premises, and depart.

The footage could not be definitive on whether the men took with them the alleged stolen cash and goods, but to those analyzing the film, what was clearly missing was any 300 kilo safe being dragged off.

In addition, the Guardia estimated that given the type and weight of safe in question, the van seen was insufficient to carry it without “collapsing”.

Had the couple not claimed the theft of the safe, the Guardia may not have had suspicions aroused.

As it is, the couple have now been detained in custody, pending trial.

In addition the Guardia are continuing investigations to locate the three alleged accomplices who were seen in the security recordings.

By Paul Deed