A hotel employee has been arrested in Gran Canaria after allegedly entering guests’ rooms and stealing jewellery worth thousands of euros from tourists staying in the popular resort area of Mogán.
The investigation began after a holidaymaker reported that several gold items, including rings and necklaces, had been stolen from their hotel room. The jewellery was valued at around €15,000.
Officers from the Guardia Civil launched an immediate investigation and found no signs of forced entry to either the room or the safe, which had been left open. This led investigators to suspect that an authorised electronic key had been used to gain access.
A detailed examination of the hotel’s electronic lock records revealed that a staff key belonging to a former employee had been used during the time of the theft. The electronic key had reportedly been listed as lost several months earlier.
Investigators then compared the lock records with staff movements within the hotel. They discovered that the suspect had entered a neighbouring room just one minute after the missing staff key was used to access the victim’s room, placing her at the scene at the relevant time.
Based on the evidence gathered, officers identified the suspect and searched her belongings while she was working at the hotel. Police said she appeared visibly nervous during the search and attempted to conceal her purse among her work clothing.
Inside the purse, officers allegedly found the missing electronic key used to access the tourist’s room. The card was reportedly hidden among her personal documents rather than being stored with authorised work equipment.
Further enquiries linked the woman to three other similar incidents at the same hotel, where guests had reported cash and jewellery being stolen from their rooms.
Police said the quick investigation prevented the electronic key from being destroyed or passed to someone else, helping secure what they described as a crucial piece of evidence.
The woman, who reportedly has a history of previous offences involving theft and burglary, has been placed before the court in San Bartolomé de Tirajana while the investigation continues.
