The thief traveled to Benidorm to steal the electric scooters that were parked in front of supermarkets.

Policia Nacional arrested a SERIAL electric bike thief at Benidorm.

The 36-year-old man regularly travelled from Alicante in order to steal at least 15 scooters that were parked outside supermarkets of a well known chain.

The total value of reported stolen vehicles exceeded €7,000.

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In recent months, Benidorm police had to deal with an increase in the number of thefts of electric scooters. All of these robberies were committed outside of a few stores.

The man always struck between 6pm to 9pm, when supermarkets are at their busiest. There are also more scooters available.

The Policia Nacional said the thefts were carried out ‘quickly and discreetly’, with the robber striking while owners were inside the store.

Investigators discovered that all the thefts took place in the same locations, and were committed by a single individual.

He was difficult to find, since he used different modes of transportation from Alicante.

Officers were able to track his behaviour and schedule by the frequency of his robberies, which all occurred at the same time.

After he had been identified, police began a surveillance campaign in several supermarkets.

He was arrested for his appearance.

He had a backpack which matched those seen in CCTV footage of him committing previous thefts.

He also wore an hat with which he attempted to conceal his face from the security cameras.

He always looked for potential victims arriving on scooters, according to the police.

He would ride off in total impunity because it was a two-wheeler, after waiting for them to enter the supermarket.

A police spokesperson said he had a ‘constant dedication’ to this illegal activity.

Police National advises that bicycles and scooters should be secured when parked in busy areas.

Experts recommend alarms and anchoring systems, or locking devices that provide security.

The Olive Press’ Benidorm News is available here.