Not what they seem ... (1 Viewer)

[St.Cyr]

Hi all. Has anyone encountered the gangs masquerading as cops on the mainroads on the north-east coast of Spain and on the approaches to Madrid? They come alongside you in a high-power saloon and hold a supposed police badge up at the window while making signs for you to pull onto the hardshoulder. One then gets out, comes to the passenger door & mentions 'drugs'... he demands bags,wallets.passports etc. to be shown,sniffs various items, faffs around generally and is then called by one of his colleagues in their car. He goes back to his car .. and they disappear... Cars AND motorhomes are targeted. In the case of motorhomes they demand to be let onboard, also to 'check for drugs' ... and quickly disappear any valuables. If tackled they have been known to become violent - a Spanish chap was shot in the head in front of his wife & 2 kiddies when he tried to have a go ... This is fact and has been going on for 5 or 6 years now. The gentlemen concerned are described as generally of 'swarthy' appearance,have longish hair and wear dark glasses.:Cool: ... The Spanish police have actually arrested several of these teams over the last few years (mention has been made of them being from S.American countries as well as 'easter Europe) but add that within a week they are replaced by new ones. Not everyone is aware that Spanish police never use unmarked cars and plain-clothes officers to stop roadusers ... If this warning stops just ONE family being robbed it will have been worthwhile. :thumb:

 

[Jim]

It's long been a problem. The current travel advice for Spain from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, includes..

Crime

Street crime is occasionally accompanied by violence. Remain alert and guard valuable personal items at all times. The majority of reported thefts are a result of items being left unattended or thieves using distraction techniques.
If you are a victim of crime, you should call 902 102 112 to make a denuncia (police report). Alternatively you can visit the Spanish Police's website: Link Removed.

Drivers should be wary of approaches by bogus police officers, in plain clothes and travelling in unmarked cars. In all traffic-related matters police officers will be in uniform. Unmarked vehicles will have a flashing electronic sign on the rear window which reads "Policia" or "Guardia Civil", and normally have blue flashing lights incorporated into the headlights, which are activated by the Police when they stop you. In non-related traffic matters police officers may be in plain clothes but in any case members of the public have the right to ask police officers to identify themselves. The Guardia Civil or Police will ask you to show them your documents only and do not request that you hand over your bag or wallet. If in any doubt, drivers should converse through the car window and contact the Guardia Civil on 062 or the Spanish National Police on 112 and ask them to confirm that the registration number of the vehicle corresponds to an official police vehicle.

Thieves posing as Police Officers may ask to see wallets for identification purposes. Holders should proceed with precaution, first establishing that the officers are genuine. Should the police request ID, they should be shown your passport, driver's licence or other photographic identification. Genuine Police Officers would not request to see wallets or purses.

Motorists should be on the look out for "highway pirates" who target foreign registered and hire cars, especially those towing caravans. If you decide to stop to check the condition of your vehicle, you should be extremely wary of anyone offering help.

For the full travel advice see here

 

[St.Cyr]

Yep, thanks Jim - have seen that. Just haven't seen it mentioned on uk sites. The problem is very much to the fore on 'Maroc en Campingcar', of which I'm a member,at the moment so just thought I'd mention it!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Braunston]

Hi,

It happened to us just out side of Barcelona 2 years ago, and i can tell you it very frighting, we had all of our plans set out for what we would do if we were approached in this way, e.g. the camera to take a photo, hold up the mobile phone to tell them we were going to ring the police to confirm who they were, the open the window just a little and tell them we would follow them to the nearest police station etc etc.

All of that goes completely out of the window when it happens, and i can tell you if you refuse to stop they chase you and try to pull in front to stop you ??

If you are interested in what happened let me know and i will try and take you through it, all I can say is I never knew my motorhome all 4000kg could do 85mph and we didn't feel safe again until we crossed the Spanish/french border.

We havn't been back to Spain since

 

[6pm Cowboy]

A young teenage boy ( French as I recall ) on a school exchange visit to Oxford was beaten to death a year or so ago by a gang of kids who wanted his mobile.

No relevance to this thread but I just wanted to point out these sort of things can happen ANYWHERE

 

[Braunston]

Hi,

I quiet agree crime happens in all countries and no ones exempt, but the thread was specifically to do with gangs masquerading as cops and targeting Motor homes/Caravans etc, and not just British it seems.

I can also say that when it actually happens to you, the facts about other crimes go completely out of the window, no matter how much i tell myself that i could just as easily be attacked in London as Barcelona really doesn't help I WAS attacked or they attempted to attack me in Barcelona and therefore my mind tells me stay clear of the place as its not safe.

A young teenage boy ( French as I recall ) on a school exchange visit to Oxford was beaten to death a year or so ago by a gang of kids who wanted his mobile.

No relevance to this thread but I just wanted to point out these sort of things can happen ANYWHERE

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}