Frenchman arrested in Alicante for stealing 450000 euros worth of kite surfing equipment in Los Alcazares – Murcia Today

The man is thought to have posed as an employee of the European Formula Kite Championship to gain access to the expensive sports kit

A 35-year-old French man has been arrested for allegedly trying to steal a large amount of Formula Kite sports equipment, valued at 450,000 euros, in the facilities of the European Formula Kite Championship, which was recently held in the Mar Menor town of Los Alcázares.

The theft occurred between the early hours of Saturday March 23 and Sunday March 24 while the European Formula Kite Championship was taking place, with the participation of well-known kite surf athletes, who were accompanied by their expensive gear.

On the morning of the 24th, some of the athletes noticed that much of their sports equipment was missing, raising the alarm with event organisers and informing the patrol of the Provincial Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil in Murcia, who were on site carrying out protection and security work.

Within 24 hours, the Guardia Civil had managed to track down the sports gear to a van in an industrial estate in the town of Agost (Alicante). Inside was all the stolen sports equipment – more than 60 items in total, mainly sails, kites and boards, as well as wetsuits and waistcoats. The owner of the van and the person suspected to have carried out the theft, a 35-year-old man of French nationality, was arrested.

The man, who had been posing as a member of staff at the event and used a music concert as a distraction, gained access to the facilities where the participants’ sports equipment was stored and loaded it into a van, leaving before being caught.

The detainee was released pending trial by a judge in Novelda (Alicante), while all the victims had their sports equipment restored to them.

Image: Guardia Civil