Robbed in Spain

[Bulletguy]

As some of you may know I had planned to spend December and January basking in the warmth of Southern Spain. I left the damp grey cold UK behind me on Monday 5th and by Saturday 10th enjoying a leisurely drive along the Autopista, vents open to cool the balmy 15c temp. Things could only get better as I was heading even further south where it would be warmer still.

 

Then it all went horribly wrong.

 

I was on the AP7 Autopista just past Barcelona and not long after leaving a Service Station to refuel, a french registered car passed me with the driver and passenger frantically waving and indicating me to pull over. As I had a back box on the rear I wondered if they had spotted something wrong with that. They pulled directly in front of me and reversed their car back to me.

 

Two lads (mid 20's) approached and said "parlez vous francais" to which I replied "non" and then one in very broken english told me there was a problem with my o/s rear wheel. Of course I got out to look but could see nothing wrong. Then he began to let air out saying it was too high. I told him to stop immediately what he was doing and that I would check myself at the next Service Station. His colleague seemed very agitated and I noticed he had one hand in his pocket the whole time.

 

They then returned to their car but as they drove off I saw a third youth sitting in the back. When they had pulled me over I had only seen two people, driver and passenger.

 

As they drove off I looked to the back seat of my van where to my horror I saw my jacket containing two wallets with cash had gone. I realised then what had been done. My camper is a Ford Transit Autosleeper Duetto with sliding door to the passenger side. Yes it has central locking, but once you open one door........all the doors are then unlocked.

 

They had everything..........cash, credit and debit cards, Passport, Driving Licence and all photo id. I lost the lot. And it probably took no longer than three to four minutes.

 

I had to drive a further 20kms to the next Service Station where, by chance, a group of eight or ten Police Officers were doing vehicle checks. I told them what had happened but of course not one could speak any english......and I don't speak Spanish.

 

I still had my mobile so called a friend here in the UK to contact my Bank and block the Credit and Debit cards which was done.

 

However the Police were far from helpful and I can only describe them as worse than useless. Unbelievably they just didn't seem to know what to do!

 

Eventually one Officer (appeared to be of senior rank as he had more 'flash' on his hat than the others) motioned to me to follow him in his Police car. He took me to a nearby Police Station where I (wrongly) assumed there would be someone able to interpret.

 

Behind the Station desk sat a woman Police Officer who passed the time fooling around every time any male officers walked in. Eventually one hour later she beckoned me to the desk, thrust two forms at me and said "fill this". By the time I came out I was physically and emotionally drained.

 

It took a further day for a friend to wire some money to me for diesel and another four days to get back to Dunkerque port where I then had to go through more form filling with Immigration.

 

I suspect these French youths had been watching me at the Service Station where i'd refuelled and i've been trying to locate the exact station as I have the receipt. I tried suggesting the possibility of CCTV to the Police but either they didn't understand, or simply weren't interested.

 

[Arthur Brown]

Hi

Sorry to hear of your problems which obviously totally spoilt your intended adventure. Hope you are able to get everything stopped and reduce the loss to cash only. Not a lot of consolation but at least you are OK and that's the important thing. A lesson to others - take your chances and don't stop.

Art

[mikebeaches]

Very sorry to hear about your horrible experience in Spain. The area in and around Barcelona does have the most awful reputation for crime against tourists. I know of lots of folk who have suffered. And indeed, way back in the late 80s, we had a hire car broken into at a service station on the motorway just outside Barcelona. We were only on holiday in the region for a week, and on the last day our car was broken into a second time, when the vehicle was in a beach car park. Lost most of our luggage.

 

At the time my wife said we should never go back to Spain. However, since then we have returned many times, and thankfully without any further misfortunes to date.

 

Nonetheless, we still will not be going anywhere near Barcelona.

[BGD]

BG, that is bloody awful.

 

I am truly sorry.

 

If you are still in Spain, and need any help, PM me at any time.

I mean it. I live about 4 hours south of Barca, speak reasonable Spanish, and might be able to help with a loan of euros, or advice if you need it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For anyone else who is travelling past Barcelona on UK plates be aware that this is a very well publicised scam - people are still getting stung even though the warnings keep being published - do NOT stop for ANYONE who tries to flag you down on the motorway around the Barca area.

 

This attempted scam is reported so often on most of the UK MH forums, but it is so easy to think you'll never be a target.

The ONLY people to stop for are real Police, fully uniformed, in a fully marked Police car, and even then ONLY after you have used your mobile phone or camera to take plenty of photos of them and their car as they drive along side you, and even then ONLY when pulling in to a proper Motorway service area.

 

Even then, DO NOT get out of your vehicle if there is no-one else in it, and if you do get out, get your passenger to Immediately lock all doors behind you.

 

If it is any small reassurance, these crimes are not violent, they are distraction thefts. Barca is the most fantastic city.

But it does have the reputation of being the unofficial pickpocket capital of the world.

If passing that city on the A7 motorway, with foreign plates, have your doors locked and your digital camera or mobile phone camera ready. If the occupants of any car try to wave you down, take many close-up photos of them and their car, very very obviously. If attempted thieves, they WILL zoom away and leave you alone.

 

For what little it is worth, there are maybe 200,000 vehicles passing Barca each day. The odds of being targeted are absolutely minimal. But of course that is utterly no comfort at all to anyone who has actually been duped and robbed.

 

 

[Bulletguy]

Thanks for that Bruce. I'm now back home in UK but needed a friend to wire me some money for diesel to get me back. Don't want to say exactly how much cash I lost but it was a lot as I was only just five days into my time away.....and i'd budgeted for two months. It hurt me a lot as we ALL know hindsight is a wonderful thing and I spent restless nights on the way back saying, "if only i'd done this or that" etc.

 

I felt the Police treated the whole business as a farce.

 

After leaving the Police Station, trying to avoid Barcelona, I found myself facing a toll road....despite cancelling them out on my satnav (as I had no money). By now it was dark and I was in a pretty distressed state.

 

I had the documentation from the Police so went to one of the toll booths and immediately two young Spanish booth operators who spoke FLUENT english came to my aid. First they were concerned about me driving. Then after making a lengthy phone call to their centre they told me there would be no charge made for using the road, and exactly which junction to exit at to clear Barcelona.

 

I just thought to myself.......here we have a system not unlike that in the UK. How much does a Spanish Police Officer earn......and how much does a toll booth operative earn? I suspect the latter earns much less.

 

Why when there are so many 'brits' LIVING in Spain do we have well paid Police Officers who cannot speak a word of english.......but lowly paid toll booth operators who can? To me that just doesn't make sense.

 

I thought I was being taken to the Police Station where there would be an interpreter.....but I was wrong.

 

If passing that city on the A7 motorway, with foreign plates, have your doors locked and your digital camera or mobile phone camera ready. If the occupants of any car try to wave you down, take many close-up photos of them and their car, very very obviously. If attempted thieves, they WILL zoom away and leave you alone.

 

You are right about that and that was EXACTLY what went through my mind after.

 

[Bulletguy]

BGD - 2011-12-16 10:27 PM

 

BG, that is bloody awful.

 

I am truly sorry.

 

If you are still in Spain, and need any help, PM me at any time.

I mean it. I live about 4 hours south of Barca, speak reasonable Spanish, and might be able to help with a loan of euros, or advice if you need it.

 

Have sent you a PM.

[Frankkia]

As BGD says, this scam is well known in that area and has been going on for a long time ( I first came across a brit who had the same experience as you in 1997) and the police there seam to do little about it.

 

Glad you are ok though - some crimes leave people badly hurt - just be glad it was only money.

[David Turner]

I too was hit by the bandits passing through Barcelona on Tuesday 6th Dec. I had traveled toll road all the way from Calais and on the route around Barcelona my wife and I heard a bang against the Motorhome - then 2/3 guys in a car pulled in front and started waving us down - I shouted a few choice words at them and carried on - When we arrived in Benidorm - The back of the Motorhome had 4 dents in the back.

Beware of any of the routes around Barcelona - and don't stop!!

[Mike88]

The scumbags attempted to get me to stop on this road a few years back - I reported it here at the time. Obviously I didn't stop but now when travelling on this road around Barcelona I pull in front of a large lorry ensuring it stays close behind thus avoiding the chance of anyone else pulling in behind me. This is not infallible but its a precaution I now take.

[derek500]

...and if you're going to southern Spain from the UK there is no need to go anywhere near the Barcelona area.

[Geoff Tuckley]

Yes, we were robbed in Barcelona last year. You would not believe the number of people we have spoken to since who had the same problem. All I can say about the Spanish police is that since having to deal with them I shall never complain about our own police force. Everyone says "Lovely city, wonderful people" so how come nothing gets done about it? One police officer (using the term loosely) told us that the prisons are full and there is 50% unemployment and someone has to feed them! Make your own mind up.

 

If ever Earth needed an enema, Barcelona is where they would put the pipe.

[Hopesy]

Bulletguy sorry to hear about your terrible ordeal, what a nightmare! Thanks for posting it on here so others me included can take notice. Nice offer from Bruce (although I don't expect the offer extends to everyone on this forum B-) ).

Rog

[Alan D]

Yes it seems to be a regular occurrence and with most of us carrying cash and cards being non spanish speakers it remains lucrative. Most of us that have kept up with the Forum over the years will know all about it. After I had been tipped off I decided to have my mobile handy when I approached Barca, unfortunately I had just made an earlier stop and put all my valuables under lock and key so when I saw a black car coming on fast to undertake me I accelerated and we were doing about 80mph with me with a right hand drive face to face with a swarthy guy in a left hand drive all I had was my glasses case which I pretended was a phone and shouting Police- Guardia. There were 4 men all pointing to the rear of my m/home .I was determined that they would not get in front of me and my Renault was doing over 90 mph before they gave up. It can all happen so quickly you need a plan as instinct is not always the best plan. I had a second experience the following year and what with all the toll booths close together and all the hassle with them travelling alone and on the wrong side of the machines I avoid the area altogether if possible. Even travelling early morning it`s a very busy road. It can be a tragedy especialy at the beggining of the trip when you are carrying most cash and away from home to sort out the credit cards etc.

Alan.

[Bulletguy]

Reading the various comments I am even more disturbed to find that what happened to me appears to be commonplace particularly in this area. I was approaching an area called Banyeres del Penedez travelling on the Ap7 Autopista just south of Barcelona.

 

I'd previously stopped at a Service Station to refuel and am convinced these youths had been on that Station watching me as they knew exactly which door to enter at the side (foreign built Transits would have the sliding door on the opposite side to ours).

 

My experience of the Spanish Police was not at all good and they have left me with a very bad impression. I felt they were not taking the matter seriously and I literally had to beg them for help. In Germany these b*stards would have been shot.

 

If this type of crime is a regular occurrence then the Police should be doing something about it as it is bringing the country into disrepute.

 

I received more help from two young Spanish toll booth operators who allowed me free use of the toll road (as I had no money or anything by now) to get around Barcelona. They showed much concern about what had happened and I am writing to my MEP in the hope that both these two operators can be traced and given due recognition. They were even concerned about my state to carry on driving.

 

Yes there may be alternative routes down to the South. My reason for using this particular toll road was 1) to avoid driving through Barcelona and 2) I wanted to pick up the coastal road from Salou.

 

 

As for the b*stards that robbed me.........I hope they burn in Hell.

 

 

[Bulletguy]

Geoff Tuckley - 2011-12-17 11:13 AM

All I can say about the Spanish police is that since having to deal with them I shall never complain about our own police force.

 

Couldn't agree more. Their attitude was appalling. They didn't even give a fig that a Passport had been stolen yet I always thought (given today's rise in terrorism) that this was a priority.

 

I've travelled in far more remote and, to some people, uncivilised areas than Spain. Many ex-eastern bloc countries, at times miles from even a small village......yet never had any problem.

 

In Germany the Police don't p**s about. Put a foot wrong and you get warned.....carry on and they will shoot you.

 

Personally i'm not for locking up the type of criminal I experienced. It's a waste of time, costly and never solves anything. I would want them put to hard manual labour until they have paid back every penny to their victim PLUS compensation........and leave them with the MINIMAL amount of money on which to live themselves.

[Cattwg]

Hi Bulletman,

Sorry to hear of your ordeal, being robbed has to be one of the worst of experiences.

 

I know it’s easy to be wise after the event but whenever we use the AP7 I ensure that we have ample diesel and then we don't stop 50 miles north or south of Barcelona.

 

In recent years when heading south we have crossed the Pyrenees so as to pick up the autopiste well south of Barcelona.

 

Best wishes.

 

Cattwg :-D

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

What an absolute nightmare, really very sorry to hear of your experience. Don't really know what else to say, except the arseholes seam to prevail more and more, not just in Spain either.

[Mike88]

The police are well aware of the problem but choose to do ignore it. Contacting your MEP is an excellent idea. Surely the authorities must realise that if this practice contnues their tourism industry will suffer which will add to the Spanish economy's already difficult predicament.

 

On the positive side I read in the Spanish Press last month that an Eastern European gang had been arrested in a concerted Police operation to rid these scumbags from the Madrid area.

[BGD]

Hopesy - 2011-12-17 12:10 PM

 

Bulletguy sorry to hear about your terrible ordeal, what a nightmare! Thanks for posting it on here so others me included can take notice. Nice offer from Bruce (although I don't expect the offer extends to everyone on this forum B-) ).

Rog

 

 

 

Rog -

 

For humans? Yes.

 

For pigs? Yes.

 

For pugs? Don't be silly.

 

 

 

 

As has been mentioned, there's no need to go past Barca (although I for one and millions of other people, have utterly no problems going that way, or indeed into the city, so long as if on non-Spanish plates you DO NOT STOP if people other than proper Police, in uniform in sign-written Police cars, ever try to wave you down.)

 

 

 

The new (well, recently upgraded) road heading south from San Sebastian /Pamplona /Zaragoza /Valencia is now a joy to travel if you want to mile-munch.

Literally almost traffic-free (you Brits simply won't believe just how little traffic we have on most of our motorways and dual carriageways and indeed other non-urban roads, except in the coastal ghetto strips).

This entire run can be done toll-free, (if you avoid the "AP15" toll bit between Pamplona and Zaragotha - although the cost ain't much for that section anyway) and it meets the A7 motorway a bit north of Valencia at Sagunto.

 

Even in our ancient chugger, at 100kms per hour, we can get from our home inland from Denia on the Costa Blanca, right up to the aire at San Sebastian (on the northern border of Spain and France) in one (long for us, maybe 7 or 8 hours driving) day.

And the only bit of toll-motorway on that entire run is the AP7 section from Ondara (by Denia) up to just south of Valencia (about €7.50) - we choose to use that rather than the N332 coast road that runs alongside it, as the N332 gets very congested and is very slow going up that stretch.

[Bulletguy]

Cattwg - 2011-12-17 2:30 PM

 

Hi Bulletman,

Sorry to hear of your ordeal, being robbed has to be one of the worst of experiences.

 

I know it’s easy to be wise after the event but whenever we use the AP7 I ensure that we have ample diesel and then we don't stop 50 miles north or south of Barcelona.

 

I had just refuelled so had a full tank. But that's where and when I think they had been watching me but the Police didn't seem to register this possibility at all. They knew enough about the van to know precisely where to enter it....which is opposite to foreign built vans. Took no longer than three to four minutes max.

[Bulletguy]

Mike88 - 2011-12-17 2:43 PM

 

The police are well aware of the problem but choose to do ignore it. Contacting your MEP is an excellent idea. Surely the authorities must realise that if this practice contnues their tourism industry will suffer which will add to the Spanish economy's already difficult predicament.

 

On the positive side I read in the Spanish Press last month that an Eastern European gang had been arrested in a concerted Police operation to rid these scumbags from the Madrid area.

 

These scum were French.

 

Despite the notoriety of East Europeans, that's where i've done most of my travelling and not once experienced any problem. Also met some very nice people who spoke zero english but we had fun breaking down the language barrier.

 

On my way back out of Spain I parked up alongside a Transit van with BG plates (Bulgaria) and spoke to the driver about my experience. I was still in such a state I needed ANYONE I could talk to! He was Bulgarian living and working in Spain and returning back after a recent trip to his homeland.

 

He said to me "I have little money", then opened his van. It was full of boxes of walnuts he was bringing back to Spain. He opened a box and then scooped handfuls of walnuts into a plastic bag and handed them to me.

 

Not ashamed to say I was in tears as I shook hands, parted company and drove away from this guy!

[Guest Peter James]

Thanks for posting Bulletguy.

I fear this will be happening more in Britain if they take away peoples benefits leaving them with no source of income other than crime, as it is for some people in Spain.

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

Peter James - 2011-12-17 3:19 PM

 

Thanks for posting Bulletguy.

I fear this will be happening more in Britain if they take away peoples benefits leaving them with no source of income other than crime, as it is for some people in Spain.

 

Sorry, but are you for real, or a typical liberal apologist. Bang them up, throw away the F******g key.

[tyreman]

Hopefully these gits will get their comeuppance one day climbing in the back of someones van to be confronted by a pair of dobermans !!!!!!!!

[ollybear]

Bulletguy - 2011-12-17 2:16 PM

 

In Germany the Police don't p**s about. Put a foot wrong and you get warned.....carry on and they will shoot you.

 

.

 

What a load of rubbish.