A British tourist has been mugged in Majorca in front of his wife and young child for his £35,000 Rolex watch.
Three masked men robbed the 44-year-old holidaymaker near a hotel in Cala Egos, a resort close to picturesque Port d’Andratx on the island’s southwestern tip.
The victim was enjoying a late-night stroll with his family after an evening meal in an upmarket restaurant.
He resisted but his attempts to foil the gang proved fruitless and two of the assailants held him down while the third wrenched the timepiece off his wrist before they fled in a getaway vehicle.
Workers and guests at the unnamed hotel were alerted by the screams of the couple’s young daughter who witnessed the violent mugging.
Police reached the scene minutes after receiving a 999 call, around 11pm on Friday, but were unable to intercept the criminals. There have been no reports yet of any arrests.
Sources close to the investigation to catch those responsible say they believe they had been watching their victim before picking the best time to strike after identifying the watch on his wrist as an expensive Rolex.
The Balearic Islands as well as Barcelona and the Costa del Sol are known as favourite places for the gangs of Rolex robbers who target holidaymakers.
In May last year two moped muggers were filmed snatching a man’s watch off his wrist in heavy traffic near Ibiza airport.
Three masked men robbed the 44-year-old holidaymaker near a hotel in Cala Egos, a resort close to picturesque Port d’Andratx on the island’s southwestern tip (stock image)
Police reached the scene minutes after receiving a 999 call, around 11pm on Friday, but were unable to intercept the criminals. There have been no reports yet of any arrests (stock image)
The pair took advantage of the split-second cars approaching a roundabout on the road to the airport ground to a halt to commit their astonishing crime.
Video footage showed the moped rider approaching the driver’s window before his accomplice, who got off the vehicle as they prepared to pounce, rushed over to complete the snatch with his motorcycle helmet still on his head.
They were away seconds later, accelerating at speed in the direction they had come from, before other motorists had a chance to react.
The man they targeted, who was driving a luxury Mercedes G-wagon, tried to do a U-turn to follow them but appeared to desist after realising he had no chance of catching up with them.
The footage emerged hours after police on the island were pictured returning a £35,000 watch stolen by criminals to its rightful owner.
Detectives said it was one of seven expensive timepieces they had recovered after arresting the suspects.
A day earlier a gang of Rolex robbers pleaded guilty to targeting tourists in Majorca.
Sources close to the investigation to catch those responsible say they believe they had been watching their victim before picking the best time to strike after identifying the watch on his wrist as an expensive Rolex (stock image)
The five criminals, four men and a woman, accepted prison sentences ranging from three months to five years after admitting they had travelled to the island from Barcelona between March and April 2023 to commit crime.
They mugged four victims to snatch watches worth nearly £150,000 in total.
One was a French tourist wearing a £85,000 Audemars Piguet watch. They also targeted a woman wearing a £42,000 Rolex white gold watch in an underground car park in Palma.
Rolex robbers working in Spanish holiday resorts were almost always from the Italian city of Naples in the past, although North Africans and Eastern Europeans have also formed gangs in recent years.
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British tourist targeted by masked Rolex rippers in Majorca who snatch £35,000 timepiece in front of his wife and child after holiday meal