Two arrested in Tenerife for stealing and then selling €15,000 worth of smartphones

The National Police have arrested a man and a woman in Tenerife charged with the theft smartphones and other hi-tech devices from the warehouse of the store where one of them worked and then selling them online on various social media and auction sites.

Police investigators received a complaint (denuncia) from representatives of an electronics store in La Laguna, claiming that they had tracked the theft of more than 15,000 euros worth of thefts of smartphones and other technological devices from their warehouses during December of last year (2023).

After analysing the content of the complaint, and tracking online sites that sell this kind of product, agents believed the thefts were directly linked to members of staff because of the access they have and the lack of any break-ins.

The subsequent investigation revealed that a former employee of the store, in collaboration with a female friend, had been involved in selling the reported mobile phones online. Sometimes, he was the one directly conducting the sale, while other times it was her, but they always collaborated with each other.

Once sufficient evidence was gathered, the agents proceeded to arrest both individuals in the town of Los Adelantados. During the operation, police managed to recover four of the smartphones, each with a retail price exceeding 1,000 euros, and track the sale of others.

After being questioned at the police station and giving a statement, the detainees and the police reports were passed over to the competent judicial authority for trial.