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Swimsuit-wearing Royal Blood thief was ‘human deposit box’

The man arrested after stealing 53 mobile phones at a Royal Blood show in Birmingham last month did so by turning himself into a ‘human deposit box’, police have said, concealing the victims’ phones inside a full-length swimming costume worn under his clothes.

Twenty two-year-old Alin Marin, a Romanian of no fixed address, “secreted” the phones “inside a compression suit he was wearing beneath his clothing”, according to West Midlands police. He was arrested shortly after leaving the concert at NEC Group’s Arena Birmingham on 18 November.

“This was organised pickpocketing,” says police sergeant Julia Slater. “Marin went equipped to steal phones and took advantage of revellers enjoying themselves in the standing area.

“Due to the jostling in the moshpit people simply didn’t realise they’d been targeted”

“Many of the phones were taken from front jeans pockets, which people believe is a safer place to carry valuables, but due to the jostling in the moshpit they simply didn’t realise they’d been targeted.

“He slipped phones inside the swimsuit and effectively turned himself into a deposit box for the phones, allowing him to carry tens of phones concealed around his body.”

Marin (pictured) was jailed for three years yesterday after pleading guilty to theft.

 


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