Spanish Police Arrest Seven in Theft of Over 1,000 Restaurant Chairs Across Madrid and Talavera

Spanish National Police have arrested seven individuals, including six men and one woman, accused of stealing over 1,100 chairs from outdoor seating areas at restaurants and bars in Madrid and Talavera de la Reina between August and September. The stolen chairs, worth approximately $69,000 (60,000 euros), were taken from 18 different establishments, often by cutting protective chains and working at night when chairs were stacked outdoors. The group is charged with theft and belonging to a criminal organization, and they resold the chairs domestically as well as in Morocco and Romania. This unusual crime came to light after multiple complaints from restaurant owners who noticed missing chairs, highlighting a rare but organized theft operation targeting outdoor furniture. Many Spanish eateries leave their metal or plastic chairs chained outdoors overnight, but this group managed to circumvent such security measures. The case underscores the challenges of securing outdoor restaurant furniture and the inventive tactics used by criminal enterprises to profit from seemingly minor thefts.