Professional! Had Surveyed Three Times And Opened Room, This Couple Stealed 45 Bottles Of Wine Worth Rp25.6 Billion From Hotel: Arrested After 9 Months Fugitive

Illustration wine. (Wikimedia Commons/Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - This male and female couple was arrested by the police for stealing more than 40 bottles of wine, including the Château D'Yquem collection in 1806, with a total stolen value of Rp. 25,660,548,685, after being on the run for almost nine months.

The two had been fugitives for nearly nine months before being finally arrested at the Montenegro-Croatia border last Tuesday for stealing 45 bottles of wine from the Atrio restaurant in Cáceres, western Spain, according to a statement from Spain's national police.

The total value of the stolen wines was 1,648,500 euros or about Rp. 25,186,909,502 and one individual bottle was worth 310,000 euros, equivalent to Rp. 473,639,183, police said, citing CNN July 21.

The theft took place on October 27, 2021 and was planned in "minute details", with the thief visiting the restaurant three times to prepare for the action, officials said.

"The suspects displayed a high level of professionalism, specialization and impeccable planning," the police statement added.

Investigators found that the woman booked into the Atrio hotel using fake Swiss documents, and had dinner at a restaurant with the man. The two suspects were then led on a tour of the wine cellar by staff, which is a common occurrence, according to police.

After walking around, the two then went up to their hotel room together, but the man left moments later and returned to the basement.

Wine illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Daniel Eidsmoe)

He entered with a stolen master key, and left a few minutes later with three large backpacks filled with stolen wine, stuffed with hotel towels to protect the bottles.

When she stole the wine, the woman distracted staff by asking for some food to be prepared, police said, even though the kitchen was closed.

The staff only became aware of the theft after discovering the missing bottles from the restaurant's wine storage the following morning. However, the suspects had left the premises around 5 am.

The thieves left Spain a few days after the theft and moved around various European countries, making it difficult for agents to pinpoint their exact location, police said.

However, the authorities eventually arrested those who entered Croatia from Montenegro at the Karasovi Sutorina border crossing. Spanish police praised the "perfect coordination" between national and international investigators from authorities including Interpol.

At the time of his arrest the male suspect had two more warrants outstanding from a court in Madrid, police said.

The most valuable bottle is known to be the 1806 Château D'Yquem, José Polo, the restaurant's co-owner and sommelier, told Decanter magazine in November 2021.

Polo said he would buy back bottles stolen from thieves, particularly the Château D'Yquem of 1806.

"More than a bottle of wine, they robbed us of our dreams," he told Decanter.