Man filmed stealing bag on live TV as tourist raves about Barcelona

A man who was filmed stealing a bag on live TV on a beach in Barcelona has been arrested by the police.

The incident took place while a tourist was being interviewed by a reporter for Spain's TVE news station on the city's Sant Miquel beach last week.

In the hilarious footage, the man can be seen picking up a rucksack belonging to another man as the tourist raves on about Spain's good food and its beautiful beaches.

The befuddled owner of the rucksack enters the video seconds later, screaming and shouting and asking people if they have seen his rucksack. Meanwhile, the man being interviewed continues to heap praise on the city, oblivious to all the drama unfolding behind him.

At one point, the man whose bag was stolen even comes close to bumping into the camera crew. The footage, which was broadcast on the Spanish state-owned channel, has now gone viral.

One social media user wrote: "This is when TV can't get any better. They interview a man to ask him what he likes best about Barcelona, while a thief steals a bag behind him."

The police have now tracked down the thief with the help of the footage. They said that some of the stolen things have already been returned to the owner of the bag.

"Thanks to a video published [...] on social media and the victim's complaint, today we identified and charged the perpetrator of a theft on Sant Miquel beach," Barcelona's Guàrdia Urbana police force said on Sunday.

A recent study revealed that Barcelona has become one of the worst places for pickpockets. As many as 34,000 cases of theft were reported in the city between January and May 2022, per The Telegraph.

The pickpockets operate on the city's main strip, Las Ramblas, as well as along its beaches and other tourist sites. The rate of such crimes has already gone back to pre-pandemic levels in the city.

The authorities have taken several measures to stop such petty crimes. Barcelona police even launched "Operation Summer" in May aimed at reducing street crimes, but the situation still seems to be out of control.