Between November 2025 and March 4, 2026, law enforcement received several complaints regarding thefts from hotels in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain). A suspect was finally arrested on March 23.
Just a week ago, the Catalan police put an end to the actions of a man in his forties, after arresting him on March 23. The suspect is accused of having robbed numerous tourists present in hotels in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain).
According to initial information, the events took place between November 2025 and March 4, 2026. The Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police) then received several complaints concerning thefts in different establishments in the city. Wallets or even valuable objects, everything went there. The amount of damage is estimated at nearly 24,000 euros.
He pretended to be a hotel customer in Barcelona, walked around the common areas and stole bags and other items worth more than €24,000.
This is a persistent criminal specialized in this modality, framed in the Kanpai Plan. We arrest him for seven thefts. pic.twitter.com/fcoDVBNKYH
– Mossos (@mossos) March 29, 2026
According to information from the El Caso media, the suspect pretended to be a customer of the hotels he was going to. He then circulated in the common areas of the establishment to rob tourists, as soon as an opportunity presented itself to him.
In detail, at least seven thefts are accused of him: three in Sants-Montjuïc, three in Sant Martà and one in Ciutat Vella. He is also accused of using stolen credit cards to make withdrawals. With some of them, he would have withdrawn almost 400 euros. Accusations of fraud which are therefore added to those of theft.
Arrested as part of Operation Kanpai
Still according to our colleagues, the suspect, whose nationality has not yet been revealed by the Catalan authorities, was quickly identified by local law enforcement.
On the run, it was only at the beginning of the week that the police finally managed to get their hands on him, as part of Operation Kanpai. This is a system aimed at a massive deployment of law enforcement in Catalonia to fight against delinquency.
Concerning the forty-year-old, the police indicate that it is a “high risk active offender”, with already seven arrests. He was presented to a judge on March 26, 2026, as part of this case.
