PUBLISHED ONDecember 13, 2024 7:30 AMByKhoo Yi-HangA Singaporean who planned a 24-hour trip to Barcelona ended up getting robbed, according to a TikTok post he made on the platform on Wednesday (Dec 11).
The TikTok user Daniel Lim, known online as Limey_dan, said he had gotten his rental vehicle from the airport in Barcelona, driving out of the garage.
Lim, a 32-year-old lawyer, was then pulled over by another driver, who informed him that there were issues with his vehicle's tyre.
While he was speaking with the driver, a second vehicle pulled up beside him, telling him that he couldn't park his vehicle there.
"In that split second, my bag in the front seat was taken - with my passport, wallet and keys," Lim recalled.
Speaking with AsiaOne, Lim said that many emotions were running through him during the encounter.
"Shock as I've not been robbed or pick-pocketed before, anger at the Albanian gang who would prey on others, and also worried as I had a return flight to catch the next morning."
He attempted to give chase but was unable to catch up with the fleeing vehicles, leaving him shocked.
He immediately blocked all his credit cards and contacted his girlfriend, who suggested tracking his Samsung Galaxy Buds - which he successfully did.
Lim tracked his earbuds down to an open-air cafe in Barcelona but the purported perpetrators spotted him just as he saw them.
"We recognised each other," Lim said, alleging that the other party were members of an Albanian gang. "Too late to call the cops, so I played it cool and said I didn't want any problems, just my passport back."
He stayed cool by thinking of the best possible outcome, ensuring that neither party became aggressive - it was a group of four against his one person, after all.
"If I approached them in peace and demonstrated that I wanted to resolve it amicably between us, there was a chance I could get my stuff back," he added.
He said in his post that he had intended to call the police unless they returned his passport and keys to him - a sentiment he shared with the group.
Moving towards them with open arms to indicate that he wasn't violent or aggressive, Lim successfully struck up a conversation with them, letting them know of his concerns.
One member of the group stayed behind and told Lim that they would bring his passport back, stating that they had thrown it on the road near the airport.
He even managed to snap a selfie with the man, sharing with AsiaOne that it was a precautionary measure in case the bag wasn't returned to him.
"I rationalised that taking a selfie would be less confrontational than pointing my camera directly at him," he added.
He then spent 40 minutes waiting at the cafe with the man - but the latter left when his ride arrived, after telling him, "don't worry, no problem".
"I was left baffled, but back to square one," Lim said.
Going off the only clue he had - that the gang had tossed his belongings near the airport - Lim then drove back to the airport to search for what he had lost.
He was unable to find any of his items, however, and tried to buy more time by delaying his return flight.
"Even as I was praying for a miracle, I was quite resigned to my fate," he admitted.
When he went to the airport police station and gave his name, Lim was hit with a pleasant surprise - the police brought out his bag, with only 250 euros (S$352.58) in cash and wallet missing.
According to the police, a taxi driver had found the bag and brought it to them.
Lim added: "My credit cards, keys and passport were there! The police only filed a report after I insisted for insurance, but they declined my evidence."
Lim also shared that he felt "incredibly blessed" to be able to recover the more important valuables within six hours from the robbery and catching the flight home.
"But [this is] also a sobering reminder to always be abundantly cautious and alert - never trust anyone at all, even in what seems to be public or safe places.
"I am usually quite alert and cautious and have not been robbed or pick-pocketed before in my years of travelling so never assume this can't happen to you."
Responding to queries from AsiaOne, Barcelona police confirmed that an object was reported as lost.
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khooyihang@asiaone.com
