Police in Rubí have arrested a couple believed to be behind a year-long mobile phone theft spree across Catalonia. The duo, a 28-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, allegedly stole 71 high-end smartphones by targeting revellers at festivals, discos, and leisure events throughout the region. A simple but crucial mistake ended their operation: they failed to turn off the stolen devices, allowing police to trace them via GPS.
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The Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s police force, concluded their investigation on 1 March 2026, exactly one year after the first reported theft on 1 March 2025. With a combined total of 23 prior arrests, the pair operated a methodical and mobile criminal enterprise, travelling far from their home base in the Vallès Occidental town of Rubí in search of opportunities.
A Methodical Spree
According to police statements reported by El Caso, the couple’s strategy was highly organised. They would consult calendars to identify major local festivals (festes majors) and popular nightlife spots across Catalonia. Their targets were primarily young women with expensive smartphones, typically iPhones.
The thefts occurred in towns and cities spanning the region, including Mataró, Salt, Igualada, Mollerussa, Lleida, Tarragona, Reus, and Salou. To evade detection during their travels, they used a series of rental cars, changing vehicles on a weekly basis.
The couple employed two main techniques. In many cases, they would simply wait for a moment of distraction to discreetly lift the phone from a pocket or bag. However, when subtlety failed, they were not afraid to use force, resorting to snatching the devices directly from their victims’ hands. Indeed, repeat offending remains a persistent issue for law enforcement. Some individuals rack up dozens of priors for similar crimes, like the thief recently arrested for a €200,000 burglary spree across Barcelona.
A Digital Trail
Despite their careful planning, the couple consistently made a fatal error. After stealing the phones, they neglected to power them down or remove the SIM cards. This allowed many victims to use built-in GPS tracking features like Apple’s ‘Find My’ service. As reports of stolen phones trickled in from across the region, investigators noticed a striking pattern: the GPS location for the missing devices invariably pointed to the same address-a flat on Avenida Catalunya in Rubí.
This digital breadcrumb trail allowed the Mossos to connect dozens of seemingly isolated incidents and identify the couple’s residence as the centre of the operation. Phone theft, particularly snatch-and-grab robberies, remains a common problem in busy areas, with tactics evolving constantly, as seen in the case of a minor arrested for snatching phones while riding an e-scooter.
The Final Arrest
On the morning of 1 March, agents moved in. They intercepted the couple at approximately 5:00 AM as they were parking their car outside their building. The timing was no coincidence; the pair were returning from a disco in Mataró. A search revealed they were carrying four mobile phones that had just been stolen at the venue.
A subsequent search of their flat uncovered further evidence, including false documentation, €250 in cash, and a notebook. This notebook contained meticulous annotations, listing the market prices for various second-hand phones alongside a calendar of upcoming festivals and events in Catalonia, underscoring the calculated nature of their crimes.
Authorities arrested the man and woman, subsequently handing them over to judicial authorities for processing. Ultimately, the very technology they sought to steal undid their year-long crime wave, which netted 71 phones.
