Alex Trelinski
A THIEF took €450,000 of windsurfing gear from a European championship event on the Mar Menor and drove his haul to an Alicante province warehouse, over 100 kilometres away.
The French national, 35, struck during the Formula Kite races in Los Alcazares on March 23 and 24.
He posed as an event worker and during a music concert, he broke into a storage area and helped himself to the expensive specialist equipment.
He loaded it into his van and drove up the AP-7 motorway to Agost where he parked up the vehicle in a warehouse on an industrial estate.
After the grand theft was reported, the Guardia Civil identified the culprit and retrieved the van contents within 24 hours.
Over 60 items were discovered in the vehicle including sails, kites, boards, wetsuits, and vests.
The man was bailed after appearing in court, while the equipment was returned to the rightful owners.
The competitors are seeking qualifying points in a series of Formula Kite events in Europe, ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the finals at Los Alcazares, they were able to resume normal service the following week for the Palma de Mallorca championships.
