# Spanish police warn about highway robbers



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

_*Catalonian police say they have arrested 11 people responsible for an estimated 90 robberies all using the same modus operandi. *_

_* First the criminals pick out a car with foreign plates and drive alongside it, they throw a stone at the car, prompting the driver to stop to investigate. *_


Video: Spanish police warn about highway robbers - Telegraph


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> _*Catalonian police say they have arrested 11 people responsible for an estimated 90 robberies all using the same modus operandi. *_
> 
> _* First the criminals pick out a car with foreign plates and drive alongside it, they throw a stone at the car, prompting the driver to stop to investigate. *_
> 
> ...


what amazes me is that they got away with so many!!!

it's an old trick - and the warnings about this have been around for as long as I can remember


at least this gang has been caught

don't know if it's my connection, but the link is taking so long to load that I've given up

eta - have read it though, cos I googled it


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> what amazes me is that they got away with so many!!!
> 
> it's an old trick - and the warnings about this have been around for as long as I can remember
> 
> ...


It's not an extensive article; it's just that there's a video that goes with it, of the gang in action, which is quite amazing actually.
Here's what it says

26 Aug 2011 
Catalonian police say they have arrested 11 people responsible for an estimated 90 robberies all using the same modus operandi. 

First the criminals pick out a car with foreign plates and drive alongside it, they throw a stone at the car, prompting the driver to stop to investigate. 

The robber's car then pulls over alongside and while one criminal distracts the driver, a second person sneaks into the victim's car and grabs what they can before driving off. 

"Spanish people are well informed, we know what these people do and we don't stop. That's why they choose people from abroad," said deputy police inspector Sergi Martinez. 

"They must ignore these signals. If they have to stop because they really think their vehicle is damaged, they have to do it in an area under surveillance," he added.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

It might be an old trick but there are always new people to the country...


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> It might be an old trick but there are always new people to the country...


true.........& I guess not everyone is internet-savvy

I have unfortunately also seen reports of similar things pooh-poohed as 'urban legends'


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## Isualt (Jan 22, 2010)

I (woman on her own in a "flashy" car) have to drive from France to Portugal next week and everyone is telling me not too. Tales of the dangers of problems similar to this and at service stations have been aired! Is it all over-reaction to "urbane tales"? Also is it illegal to carry pepper spray in Spain. 

Cheers


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Isualt said:


> I (woman on her own in a "flashy" car) have to drive from France to Portugal next week and everyone is telling me not too. Tales of the dangers of problems similar to this and at service stations have been aired! Is it all over-reaction to "urbane tales"? Also is it illegal to carry pepper spray in Spain.
> 
> Cheers


Being aware of the possible tricks is the best defence. Just use your common sense and you´ll be fine. These incidents are extremely rare.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Isualt said:


> I (woman on her own in a "flashy" car) have to drive from France to Portugal next week and everyone is telling me not too. Tales of the dangers of problems similar to this and at service stations have been aired! Is it all over-reaction to "urbane tales"? Also is it illegal to carry pepper spray in Spain.
> 
> Cheers


Personally, I don't think you need worry as long as you realise that there are some dodgy people out there, and you do, don't you?!
It's like going to Oxford street in London - be aware that there are pickpockets, the metro in Paris at night might not be the best place if you don't know your way around etc etc.
Don't stop on the motorway for anyone who is not identified in some clear way that they are from the police or Guardia Civil. Even in "undercover cars" the put an LED display on in the rear window saying they are who they are.
Don't know about the pepper spray in Spain, but you're not allowed to have it in your luggage in airport


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Isualt said:


> I (woman on her own in a "flashy" car) have to drive from France to Portugal next week and everyone is telling me not too. Tales of the dangers of problems similar to this and at service stations have been aired! Is it all over-reaction to "urbane tales"? Also is it illegal to carry pepper spray in Spain.
> 
> Cheers



It's an over-reaction.
I drove a nearly new Merc CLK Avant-Garde cabriolet from Prague to Marbella and used it every day to drive all over this area. It was on UK plates too which I'm told makes a car more stealable and a powerful sports saloon even more so.
I did feel vulnerable when I drove around Prague as car theft of all kinds of vehicles is rife and the Czech police are useless.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pepper spray (spray de pimienta) is legal in Spain if you are over 18.



> En España el spray de pimienta aprobado, hecho de un 5% de CS está disponible para cualquier persona mayor de 18 años. Recientemente se ha aprobado el uso civil de algunos spray de pimienta OC (por ejemplo uno de 22 gramos, con nº de registro DGSP-07-22-SDP, aprobado por el Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo). Aerosol de pimienta - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Personally, I don't think you need worry as long as you realise that there are some dodgy people out there, and you do, don't you?!
> It's like going to Oxford street in London - be aware that there are pickpockets, the metro in Paris at night might not be the best place if you don't know your way around etc etc.
> Don't stop on the motorway for anyone who is not identified in some clear way that they are from the police or Guardia Civil. Even in "undercover cars" the put an LED display on in the rear window saying they are who they are.
> Don't know about the pepper spray in Spain, but you're not allowed to have it in your luggage in airport


All Policia Guardia Civil vehicles have number plates that incorporate the letters "PGC" - if it hasn't got that, do not stop, drive on. You are quite in order to argue that you thought the so called Police were fake if you are later stopped by genuine police.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> All Policia Guardia Civil vehicles have number plates that incorporate the letters "PGC" - if it hasn't got that, do not stop, drive on. You are quite in order to argue that you thought the so called Police were fake if you are later stopped by genuine police.


Are you sure that they all have them? Even the undercover ones? It's a genuine question, I'm not trying to be sarcastic


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Are you sure that they all have them? Even the undercover ones? It's a genuine question, I'm not trying to be sarcastic


As far as I am aware - Yes, because the vehicles are usually parked at a slight angle so that you can't see the number plate anyway so unless it is the usual white with the usual transfers (I've noticed a number of them now only have a white bonnet instead of the dark green) any vehicle could be an unmarked police car or, obviously, a fake. 

I invariably treat any vehicle stationary by the side of the road, with a certain amount of suspicion, even something like my Berlingo which could be someone pulling the "can you help me" trick... paranoia? maybe, but one cannot be too careful.

One thing that does surprise me is the number of people who have never noticed the PGC number plate. That even applies to those of who were kids at the same time as me and collected number plates.


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## anles (Feb 11, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Are you sure that they all have them? Even the undercover ones? It's a genuine question, I'm not trying to be sarcastic


No, the undercover cars belonging to tráfico do not have the letters PGC on the number plate, but they have a screen on the rear window that lights up saying it is a police car and telling you to pull over.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

anles said:


> No, the undercover cars belonging to tráfico do not have the letters PGC on the number plate, but they have a screen on the rear window that lights up saying it is a police car and telling you to pull over.



Well, that's what I thought (see post 11)

BTW Baldilocks thanks for giving me the right word unmarked not undercover!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

anles said:


> No, the undercover cars belonging to tráfico do not have the letters PGC on the number plate, but they have a screen on the rear window that lights up saying it is a police car and telling you to pull over.


Thank you for putting me right, my informant must have been misinformed!


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

I think you will find the robbers were in fact Mossos d'Escuadra, collecting for their annual christmas bash or whatever it is they do with the money they rob off you whilst out on the road.

Seriously, I often take what the Mossos claim to have done with a huge pinch of salt. (If indeed it was the mossos who caught them). Fact is the Mossos are notorious for blowing their own trumpet, badly at that. However, that said, great to hear we have 11 less crims to lose sleep over. 
Just a thought, I wonder whether the perps were local or foreign themselves, not that it matters, but it seems to me that the majority of car crime in Catalunya, apart from bad driving they are the best at that hereabouts, is carried out by foreigners. When we drove through France we were warned about folk of African origin pulling alongside your car pointing at it as if there was something wrong and hey presto robbing you if you pulled over. 

What I have noticed with the police here in Catalunya is they can rarely catch the average criminal but boy can they catch the big guys, NOT! They just tell you they have.


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