Tourist is robbed of £430,000 Richard Mille watch in Barcelona

Police are searching muggers who stole a vacationer’s £430,000 Richard Mille watch in Barcelona’s most costly avenue. 

The thieves used an electrical scooter to flee the scene after ripping the designer timepiece off their sufferer’s wrist.

The surprising crime occurred within the Catalan capital’s Paseo de Gracia, one of many metropolis’s main avenues and most necessary buying and enterprise areas.

It is thought to be the costliest avenue in Barcelona and in Spain and residential to boutiques belonging to nationwide and worldwide vogue homes like Loewe and Chanel as properly are Zara and Mango.

Police sources mentioned the one of many muggers snatched the watch and handed it on to the confederate on an electrical scooter.

The sufferer’s nationality has not been revealed.

A spokesman for the regional Catalan police Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed at this time: ‘The investigation is ongoing. No arrests have but been made.’

Barcelona’s safety has been beneath the highlight lately and it has grow to be generally known as probably the most favorite locations {of professional} watch thieves from locations like Naples.

In March a 25-year-old Canadian vacationer died after plunging from a bridge in Barcelona final month in an incident believed to be linked to an tried mugging.

The holidaymaker misplaced his battle for all times after being rushed to hospital with severe head accidents.

Initial native studies on the time claimed police believed his attackers might have thrown him from the bridge throughout a wrestle after he resisted their makes an attempt to rob him.

But it subsequently emerged he might have jumped to his demise within the mistaken perception he may attain security after a deadly miscalculation in regards to the near-20 ft drop.

Tennis star Grigor Dimitrov grew to become a sufferer of the gangs of designer watch muggers focusing on the town in April.

The 31-year-old Bulgarian had the £62,000 timepiece ripped off his wrist in his automotive as he returned from coaching forward of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell event.

The timepiece was described as a a Swiss Bianchet watch valued at 70,000 euros (£62,560).

In June final 12 months Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel had a backpack stolen within the metropolis.

He tried to chase down the thieves by hopping on an electrical scooter after a bag was grabbed from his Aston Martin as he bought out for a short second.

In August final 12 months Barcelona footballer Robert Lewandowski had his £59,000 watch stolen from him as he signed autographs earlier than a night coaching session at his membership’s Ciutat Esportiva complicated.

The striker sprinted after the perpetrator, who was finally caught by police who returned the watch to the sportsman.

A month later a UK vacationer was stabbed within the metropolis, the place rugby participant and actuality TV star Levi Davis went lacking in circumstances that are nonetheless beneath investigation, whereas making an attempt to battle off thieves who had snatched his bag.

This summer time vacationers and locals have been warned to be on their guard in opposition to a gang of revolting thieves who spit on their victims after which distract them by providing to wash up the vomit.

Detectives revealed footage of the bag snatchers at work, exhibiting the ruse involving two males with baseball caps on working collectively to focus on a blonde girl and a younger traveller.

Both incidents occurred on Barcelona’s metro system.

In July final 12 months a specialist police group was created in Barcelona to sort out the issue of violent watch thefts.

The earlier month an American businessman had his watch grabbed off his wrist as he returned to his five-star resort in Barcelona from a household lunch.

The incident occurred in broad-daylight. Initial studies pointed to the Swiss-made Hublot watch being value a staggering £687,000 earlier than police mentioned that they had been instructed by Hublot it was a limited-edition timepiece value £37,000.