Money stolen in private albergue in portamarin

[piogaw]

I have a young polish couple reported to me that she and an italian peregrino have money stolen from their backpacks on the 15th of september. She placed the money in her sleeping bag and went to the kitchen for breakfast for around 15 minutes. When she returned from breakfast, the money was gone. the italian also have money in his backpack stolen. Their beds were next to each other in a big dormitory.. She only knows of the two incidents, there could be more money stolen from other pelegrinos. These 2 incidents happened in a big private albergue in portamarin.

I was told the albergue has surveillance cameras and the cameras were not checked. Maybe there was no films in the camera. Also they were told they were unable to contact the police because the police department was not opened until 09:00 hour.

I am just reporting this to make peregrinos aware of the incidents. I have reviewed the comments made by peregrinos who stayed in this albergue, and the comments are very favourable. So i don't want to pass judgement.

But please, please safeguard your valuables and money. Don't leave them unattended.

I wish everyone a buen camino.

 

[lynnejohn]

We all need to consistently and constantly remember that passports, money and credit cards never leave you. Ever.
Or put another way - don't walk away from anything that you can't afford to lose / replace.

 

[november_moon]

yes, this is a good reminder. I am sorry that these 2 pilgrims had money stolen. That really bites. Hopefully knowing about this will help others avoid thefts themselves.

 

[MendiWalker]

One should NEVER leave their valuables ( money, passport,phone, etc.) out of their sight.

Unfortunately some learn the hard way.

Buen Camino!

 

[CClan]

I am the one who posted regarding the June theft and let me repost by saying....at no time did we ever leave our valuable, not for a coffee not for a shower. I went to bed and had my small bag at the foot of my bag. This place had cameras making us feel the next day that someone saw me go to bed with my bag. The other victims that night also had money in bottom of their sleeping bag and had money under her pillow. I had a new sleeper that had zippers from both ends and we believe that is how it happened after we spoke to several others. I was soooooo asleep with face mask someone could have unzipped the bottom? it was and is unsettling ! Please retread my post. Please WEAR your money. These people know you are beat, know new members join the Camino at this place, and they know this is the first hostel to stay at and it is full and busy...so keep walking a few more steps and find another place.

 

[piogaw]

hello cclan,

nobody is implying that you are neglectful. i have a chance to quiz the polish couple when they reached santiago and stayed in my albergue. i was also told they have security cameras in the big dormitory. apparently the tapes either were not checked or they was no tape in the camera. also they were given the excuse that the police station does not opened until 9 am. my own suspicious is someone was using the security cameras to spy on the pilgrims.

i am really sorry for your loss. i was a volunteer hospitalero for 2 1/2 months in a 110 bed + 50 reserve hostel in santiago. i have many pilgrims stayed in our hostel day in and day out, and this is the only time i have some pilgrims who have had money stolen.

again my regrets at your loss. god bless.

 

[piogaw]

i have more information on this albergue in portomarin.

the name of this hostel i albergue ferramenteiro. this hostel is mentioned on the eroski consumer website. this is a 130 bed private hostel located after crossing the bridge into portomarin on the highway on the left. i believe they cater to both pilgrims and tourists. it belongs to a chain of hostels in other pueblos in galicia. it is a fairly modern hostel with big dormitory style room. this is a private hostel.

my advice to you future peregrinos is to find other accommodations in portomarin or bypass portomarin and go to the next town.

these kind of thieveries should not be tolerated and if possible be reported to the guardia civil.

buen camino.

 

[peregrina2000]

This should be taken up with the authorities, because it certainly does sound like an inside job.

I read a bunch of the comments on the Eroski site, and there was no mention of theft. But several did mention that they found the "patrols" by one of the staff members a bit over the top -- ostensibly to keep down the noise at night.

This is not the sort of thing that could go unnoticed for long if the victims were Spanish, so if it is an inside job, they must be targeting foreigners.

 

[piogaw]

hello laurie,

thanks for your comment. i believe the cctv cameras were used to spy on the peregrinos. from conversation with the polish couple, it was mentioned they stayed in a big dormitory type of room with cctv cameras. nothing was mentioned by the staff about checking the cctv cameras. when police was mentioned, they were told the police station does not opened until 9 am. this is a private hostel staffed not by hospitaleros, but by private employees of the hostel.

i am usually very cautious about naming names, but i can not let this one go by without kicking up a storm. these peregrinos have spent a lot of money supporting the economy of the small pueblos in the crisis that we have found in spain. unfortunately i am not in santiago now,but i will be backed for a long spell. i believe someone should contact the guardia civil office in portomarin to make them aware of what is going on. i have checked the company record of the owner of this hostel and i believeit is a big operator in portomarin and also on other hostels and transportation business in galicia. i wonder whether if the local police were to be informed of what is going on, will they investigate?

and i am also having trouble with the forum trying to make peregrinos aware that these are not isolated incidents. maybe it has happened to other peregrinos who did not report the incidents.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The owner is not well liked in Portomarin, so I think the police would investigate. Just a guess.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, piogaw, I will contact a couple of Spanish friends active in Camino things and see what they suggest. If the owner is a big operator, it seems more likely that this is the work of one "rotten apple" employee, but I agree with you that it is important to try to get to the bottom of this. I do think it's important to avoid jumping to conclusions about who is guilty, and to be careful about not getting close to the line of libel. The only question is how best to do that since we're not really police officers, nor are we in Portomarin. It's probably not a good idea to alert the albergue people that there are concerns, so maybe we should get these threads deleted and work behind the scenes. Though I don't mean to suggest that I'm interested in playing cops and robbers. Laurie

 

[piogaw]

falcon269,

thanks for the words of encouragement.

 

[piogaw]

Hi, piogaw, I will contact a couple of Spanish friends active in Camino things and see what they suggest. If the owner is a big operator, it seems more likely that this is the work of one "rotten apple" employee, but I agree with you that it is important to try to get to the bottom of this. I do think it's important to avoid jumping to conclusions about who is guilty, and to be careful about not getting close to the line of libel. The only question is how best to do that since we're not really police officers, nor are we in Portomarin. It's probably not a good idea to alert the albergue people that there are concerns, so maybe we should get these threads deleted and work behind the scenes. Though I don't mean to suggest that I'm interested in playing cops and robbers. Laurie

thanks laurie,

i am only reporting what first hand information i was given. maybe the owner is not aware of what has been going on. but at the end of the day, he is the top man, the managing director, and he is responsible for what is happening under his roof. there are up to 25 employees in the site, so it could be just a rotten apple. i am sure if they are rumours floating around, someone will heard of it. portomarin has only a population of 2000 inhabitant and is less than 100 kilometres from santiago. i am not saying the owner is aware of what is going on, but it is hard for a small pueblo not to know what is going on.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I also have a friend who runs a different albergue in Portomarin.
I have written her and will see what she has heard or what she suggests we do.

 

[piogaw]

I also have a friend who run a different albergue in Portomarin.
I have written her and will see what she has heard or what she suggests we do.

Thank you very much, annie.

I will appreciate what she has heard.

 

[Amac]

I had money stolen at the Benedictine albergue in Leon on 17/Sep. I had been having stomach problems and spent some time in the toilet during the night - which is when I believe it happened. The thief removed my wallet which was zipped in my pocket removed all moneys - about 200 Euro inc some other curencies and replaced the wallet including credit and debit cards. I discovered it when I went to buy a ticket for a cathedral tour - as I was spending an extra night at a hotel in the city. I believe the thief was in 1. the bed next to me on the right - the first one to check in the room or 2. the guy above me, or 3 to my left - but that is speculation. The albergue made no effort to identify these when I reported it and wouldn't let me phototo the register near my name. The police "comiseria" just filed a report stamped and handed me a copy - presumably so I can try to claim from insurance. As for the albergue in Portomarin I actually stayed there also and quite liked it as it was roomy - but then there were only about 40 of 140 bunks occupied. I didn't have problems and didn't hear of anybody who had. I did look in the municipal albergue where some friends had stayed and it was unbelievably cramped and crowded with wet things hanging everywhere (heavy rain that day). I would be cautious about blaming staff - I think it more likely to be opportunists who take advantage of the fact that there are lots of new faces about, and will go unnoticed in the bigger cities and albergues. The albergue staff at Leon said theft was not uncommon - but showed little interest in trying to identify the perpetrators.

 

[piogaw]

i think we have talked about this topic to death.

point i am trying to make are: if you are a victim of theft, do go to the police station or have the staff at the albergue to call the police for a report.

try to see if there are the presence of cctv in the hostel and ask politely to see whether the staff can check for any evidence of stealing by someone.

but the most important of all: DO NOT LEAVE ANY VALUABLES, BE IT MONEY, CREDIT OR ATM CARD, PASSPORT. ETC. IN YOUR RUCKSACKS ATTENDED OR UNATTENDED. ALWAYS TAKE IT WITH YOU ANYWHERE WHETHER YOU ARE GOING TO BE AWAY FOR A SECOND, ONE MINUTE.
OR MORE. ALL IT TAKES IS FOR A FEW SECONDS FOR A THIEF OR SOMEONE TO STEAL YOUR VALUABLES.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.

i wish everyone a buen camino and may god bestow his blessing on all of you.