Just been chatting to a friend from work who has just returned from her in-laws' place in Torreviejca. They flew into Alicante airport and had a traumatic experience when picking up their hire car. As they reached the car, my friend's mother-in-law unlocked the car and put her bag in the front (on the centre console) whilst she helped get the children in the back of the car and load up the suitcases. Another car with blacked out windows and blacked out registration number pulled up alongside their hire car - a guy jumped out, reached into the car and grabbed her handbag. He jumped back into the car and it sped off.
Unfortunately the handbag had five passports in it, cash, Spanish bank books, keys for the apartment and some personal items of jewellery. As the Spanish bank books contained the address of the apartment, they would have had access to the apartment (although locks have now been changed).
The Police advised my friend and her mother-in-law that there have been quite a few incidents such as this over the last few weeks - not sure whether it is just at Alicante airport or others as well.
Obviously don't want to start any scare-mongering amongst us but just thought it was worth posting this information so that we can all be a little more cautious at the airport, particularly when collecting our hire cars. I know a few people fly into Alicante so it's worth being aware of this. Not sure whether there have been any incidents at Murcia airport.
We all know the safety and security rules but it's not as if the car and bag were left unattended - they were stood right by the car loading things into it but apparently it all happened so quickly, they didn't have time to react. The Police advised them that even if they had attempted to do anything, the car would not have stopped and someone could have been hurt.
So just be extra cautious folks - wouldn't like an incident like this to spoil anyone's holiday.
Debbie