Luxury watch thieves continue to operate in Barcelona with apparent impunity after a judge released two suspects despite their extensive criminal histories.
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The decision has sparked concern among law enforcement and residents alike, particularly as watch thefts in the city increased by 6.8% during the first half of 2025.
Luxury watch thieves target French tourist
The case involves three professional thieves who targeted a French tourist walking with his wife toward Barceloneta on August 21st.
Surveillance footage shows the criminals following the couple along Via Laietana before snatching a gold Rolex Daytona valued at €15,000. The theft occurred at approximately 2pm near number 13 Via Laietana, with one suspect approaching from behind while an accomplice waited on a scooter.
According to recent police operations, the suspects belong to one of Barcelona’s most active luxury watch theft rings. Despite this, the investigating judge released two of the three identified suspects, citing “minimal violence” during the robbery. The third suspect remains at large.
Extensive criminal histories overlooked
The released suspects, S.H. and M.A., have remarkably extensive criminal records. S.H. has been detained 40 times, lacks legal residence in Spain, and faces a pending five-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, M.A. has 20 previous arrests and an outstanding €1,020 fine. The third suspect, A.S., considered by police as a violent repeat offender, has 12 detentions and multiple pending sentences.
Furthermore, court documents reveal that A.S. has previous convictions for similar luxury watch thefts dating back to 2018, including watches valued at €40,000, €28,200, and €25,000. He also has unserved sentences for gender violence and family abuse totaling seven months in prison.
Police frustration grows
The Mossos d’Esquadra’s Titanium unit, Spain’s first police division specializing in high-end watch thefts, identified the suspects immediately from surveillance footage. In their report to the court, officers described the group as “professional watch thieves” and expressed frustration at the judicial decision.
Police investigations have quantified the black market value of stolen luxury watches at 30-50% of their retail price. Therefore, the €15,000 Rolex stolen in this case would likely fetch between €3,600 and €6,000 on the illegal market.
The release of these luxury watch thieves comes despite statistics showing that only 23 of the 153 people arrested for similar crimes in the first half of 2025 ultimately went to prison. This pattern raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current measures against professional criminal networks operating in Barcelona.
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