Ham-fisted thief caught stealing cured legs of pork from Mercadona supermarket in Malaga town

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Guardia Civil officers surprised the individual inside the establishment with a haul of 'jamones' worth around 2,500 euros

Irene Quirante

Malaga

Thursday, 18 December 2025, 09:24

An alleged thief has been arrested for attempting to steal cured hams, various cured meats and nougat, among other food items, from a Mercadona supermarket in Coín, in Malaga province's Guadalhorce valley. The incident was reported at around four o’clock in the morning on Monday, when the break-in was thwarted by the rapid intervention of the Guardia Civil, who arrested the suspect on suspicion of aggravated burglary.

The incident was announced by the unified association of Guardia Civil officers (AUGC) in Malaga, which stated that the haul would have been worth more than 2,500 euros. The organisation praised the officers’ work, carried out by a neighbourhood patrol from the Coín police station, despite what it described as a “lack of staff, shortage of resources and insufficient shift coverage”.

According to sources, the thief allegedly smashed the supermarket's emergency door with an iron bar to gain access, which caused the store's alarm to go off.

A police patrol from Coín was dispatched to the scene, after which reinforcements were requested in case there were more people inside. Another unit from Alhaurín el Grande and the Local Police joined the operation. The suspect had no time to escape after being caught red-handed.