In prison for robbing at least four men using chemical subjugation in Barcelona
The 26-year-old suspect is accused of defrauding nearly 30,000 euros.
BarcelonaThe Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) have arrested a 26-year-old man for robbing other men using chemical subjugation. He met the victims through a dating app, and they would meet up in Barcelona. The man arrested always wanted to go to the other men's homes, and once he did, he would slip drugs into their drinks. The first of the four victims lost consciousness after the first sip. When he awoke, the man had stolen several pieces of jewelry, computer equipment, and cash. "He wanted the victim to lose consciousness," says Sergeant Jose Elizalde, an investigator for the Eixample police force. But that wasn't enough for the detainee: he stole computer equipment to access the victims' banking credentials and make transfers to their accounts.
The first victim detected bank transactions in his account worth €9,000. In total, the stolen and defrauded money amounts to €30,000, according to police sources. So far, the Mossos have found four victims, all from Barcelona, who have suffered robberies with a modus operandi similar and have identified the man himself as the alleged perpetrator. "On dating apps, he looked for men with purchasing power," says the sergeant. The police do not rule out the possibility of more victims. One of them, according to the victim, was also allegedly sexually assaulted.
The investigation began on May 7 with the complaint from the first victim. When she went to a hospital the next day, they detected she had psychotropic substances with sedative effects in her system. A coincidence allowed the police to continue the investigation.
Identification
Two days later, a patrol in the Gràcia district identified three people leaving a computer and telephone store in Barcelona. During the search, they found tools for burglaries. Investigators in the Eixample district were able to verify that one of the identities matched the victim's description of her con artist. This allowed the police to identify him, and a mistake on his part gave the Mossos d'Esquadra even more ammunition: he had bought a flight with the card stolen from the first victim, and the names matched. They located him in a hotel in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, where they arrested him. During the search, they found two electronic devices belonging to the first complainant.
In addition, there were two other cell phones that were apparently stolen. The officers contacted one of the owners and confirmed that it was another victim who had been intoxicated with drugs and ended up being admitted to the emergency room at a hospital in Girona. In fact, he was still in the hospital at the time of the call. Investigators have also detected two more similar cases in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella district between April and May. The suspect is accused of robbery with violence and cyber fraud and had no prior police record. After being brought before a court, the man was remanded in custody.
