The Mossos d'Esquadra have detected a method used by pickpockets to coordinate thefts using small wireless earphones, known as pinganillos, with which they can communicate discreetly while looking for potential victims. The police action took place in the neighborhood of Collblanc, in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona), where the agents identified four men who allegedly selected customers from bars and bakeries to steal valuable items by taking advantage of some carelessness. The intervention ended with three arrests, two of whom had outstanding arrest warrants for theft offenses, while the third had an international warrant issued by the authorities of Peru.
The events occurred on October 15, around 10:40 a.m., when a plainclothes patrol of the Catalan police was conducting surveillance in the commercial area near the Collblanc market. According to El Periódico, the agents observed four individuals who were constantly gathering and separating while paying attention to the people who were having something in the nearby establishments. The movements raised the suspicions of the police, who verified that the men were using pinganillos to stay in communication and coordinate their movements without needing to speak directly to each other.
How the method of pickpockets using pinganillos works
The procedure detected by the Mossos combines the surveillance of potential victims with constant communication among several members of a group. The suspects observed customers of bars and bakeries while moving around the market, separating and regrouping at different times to avoid drawing attention. The use of earphones allowed them to stay in contact at a distance and share information about the people who could become targets of a theft.
According to the information published by El Periódico, the alleged pickpockets sought to take advantage of customers' carelessness to acquire valuable items, a common practice in petty theft crimes. The difference in this case lies in the use of communication devices that facilitate the coordination of the group. Investigators have not detailed that a completed theft occurred during the police surveillance, so the action confirms the detection of the procedure and the subsequent arrests, but does not allow attributing new specific thefts to them without further investigation.
The agents decided to discreetly follow the four men, although the surveillance became complicated because the suspects continuously dispersed through the streets of the neighborhood. At one point, one of them seemed to notice the police presence and would have alerted the others through the communication device. In this situation, the Mossos decided to intervene and identify the members of the group.
Three arrested and an international warrant for arms and drug trafficking
The identification of the suspects allowed discovering that two of the men had pending arrest warrants issued by investigation units in Barcelona for their alleged involvement in theft crimes. One of them had 34 police records, while the second had seven, most related to thefts.
The third arrested had an international arrest warrant issued by Peru for crimes related to arms trafficking and public health. During the identification, the man presented German documentation that raised the agents' suspicions, who conducted additional checks and discovered that he was using a false identity. According to the police information collected by the aforementioned media, the suspect also had six theft records associated with that identity.
For their part, the fourth man was identified and released, despite having more than 20 police records for thefts, as he had no pending arrest warrant nor were there sufficient grounds to arrest him for a crime committed during the intervention.
How to prevent thefts in terraces, bars, and restaurants
The case of Collblanc brings the focus back on pickpocketing in hospitality establishments, where criminals take advantage of customers' distractions to steal mobile phones, wallets, and bags. Although the use of earpieces facilitates coordination among several people, it is not the only method employed to commit this type of crime.
The National Police has warned on various occasions about other common techniques, such as the so-called "crutch" method, which consists of using a map, a newspaper, or some other object to cover a person's mobile phone while distracting them with a question or a request for help. Once the victim directs their attention towards the interlocutor, the criminal takes the opportunity to steal the device without them noticing what has happened.
To reduce the risk of suffering these thefts, authorities recommend keeping personal items under surveillance, avoiding leaving mobile phones on tables, and not placing bags or backpacks on the backs of chairs, especially on terraces and crowded spaces. They also advise being extra attentive to unexpected distractions and checking that belongings are retained before leaving the establishment.
The actions of the Mossos d'Esquadra in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat highlight how simple technological tools can be used to coordinate traditional crimes like pickpocketing. In this case, the agents' surveillance allowed for the identification of the four suspects and the arrest of three of them for pending warrants, before a new theft was confirmed during the operation.