‘Meticulously deliberate theft’: Couple jailed for stealing 45 bottles of wine value $1.7 million in Spain

The lady, who in accordance with Spanish press experiences is a former Mexican magnificence queen, checked into the lodge utilizing a pretend Swiss passport, the court docket stated.

Madrid,UPDATED: Mar 7, 2023 11:30 IST

Couple jailed for stealing 45 bottles of wine value over $1.7 million in Spain (Representative Image)

By Agence France-Presse: A Spanish court docket on Monday jailed a pair for stealing 45 bottles of wine value over 1.6 million euros ($1.7 million) from a lodge restaurant in what police referred to as a “meticulously planned” theft.

A bottle of Chateau D’Yquem 1806 value 350,000 euros was among the many wines stolen from the Atrio lodge in Caceres in southwest Spain in October 2021 within the heist which made world headlines.

A court docket in Caceres sentenced the girl to 4 years in jail and the person to 4 and a half years, after discovering them responsible of housebreaking with pressured entry.

The court docket additionally ordered the pair — who have been arrested in July 2022 in Croatia — to pay compensation of 753,454 euros to the lodge.

The lady, who in accordance with Spanish press experiences is a former Mexican magnificence queen, checked into the lodge utilizing a pretend Swiss passport, the court docket stated.

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After eating within the Michelin three-star restaurant of the lodge, the pair got a tour of the Atrio’s famend wine cellar earlier than they retired to their room.

At 2 am the girl referred to as the reception and requested the “sole employee” who was working on the time to make her a salad, in accordance with the court docket ruling.

The worker at first denied the request as a result of he was alone and since the couple had eaten a 14-course tasting menu, however he ended up agreeing as a result of she saved insisting.

While the worker was getting ready the salad, the person slipped into reception and stole an digital key which he thought would achieve entry to the wine cellar, nevertheless it was the flawed one.

From exterior the wine cellar, the person referred to as his associate and advised her as soon as once more to distract the receptionist, so she requested a dessert.

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“The accused returned to the reception and from a box, he took master key number 27, which he used to open the wine cellar from where he took 45 bottles of wine,” the court docket stated.

The man, who reportedly has Romanian and Dutch citizenship, carried the bottles to his room in a rucksack and two massive luggage earlier than the receptionist returned to his submit.

The couple had “meticulously planned” the heist, visiting the restaurant 3 times to arrange for the raid, Spain’s National Police stated in an announcement when the pair have been arrested.

Published On:

Mar 7, 2023