The Puncture Method: How a Bag Containing €4,800 Was Stolen from a Car Parked at a Supermarket in Benidorm

Using the puncture method. This is how a 47-year-old man stole a bag containing €4,800 in cash from inside a vehicle parked at a supermarket in Benidorm. The man would alert the driver to a deflated tyre, taking advantage of the distraction to steal items from inside the car, according to police sources.

The investigation began following a report from a victim who claimed the theft of a bag containing €4,800 and personal documents. The complainant stated that after shopping, she was about to leave the supermarket when a man warned her of a flat tyre, seizing the opportunity to take the bag, which was on the passenger seat.

Investigators confirmed it was the puncture method. The alleged perpetrator, a 47-year-old Algerian man, punctured the vehicle's tyres. When the victim noticed, she got out of the car to seek assistance, at which point he took the bag as the vehicle was open.

After the corresponding inquiries and actions, the officers were able to identify the alleged perpetrator, who was an itinerant individual operating throughout the national territory, eventually being located and arrested as the suspected author of a theft from inside a vehicle. The detainee, after the completion of police procedures, has been brought before the Benidorm Magistrate's Court.

The National Police warns that this method is widely known and is referred to as "the sowing". The perpetrators conduct surveillance to confirm the victim is carrying money. Subsequently, near a bank, supermarket, or parking lot, another perpetrator creates a distraction, such as dropping several bills or puncturing a tyre. When the victim is distracted, they seize the opportunity to take the money.