The 'engineer' who brags about stolen phones in Spain
A video shows a young man displaying several stolen iPhones in Barcelona, Spain. Calculating the VAT and income tax on one night's work reopens the debate on the…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The 'engineer' who brags about stolen phones in Spain
A video showing a young man displaying several high-end phones — several iPhone 15s, an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone 16 — claiming he got them in one night's work in Barcelona has become the trigger for a discussion that goes beyond the anecdotal. The scene, shared on social media, shows the protagonist flaunting the loot as casually as someone showing off a payslip. The total value of the devices, according to the models identified by the rear camera layout and MagSafe cases, could range between 3,600 and 6,000 euros on the second-hand market. Far from going unnoticed, the gesture has peine the debate on the perceived impunity for certain crimes, immigration policy and how the justice system works.
From flaunting the loot to calculating VAT
The conversation doesn't stop at the video anecdote. Numbers quickly emerged. A calculation circulating in the discussion estimates that, if the author of the video had legally purchased those phones and resold them, he would have generated 525 euros in VAT, to which the income tax corresponding to an eight-hour working day would be added. With a base salary of 1,300 euros a month and a 20% night shift bonus, his contribution to the public coffers in a single night would come to around 528.90 euros. Beyond its accuracy, the figure serves to contrast the underground economy of theft with the tax burden borne by the average worker.
The jarring fact: while a salaried worker needs several days to generate that amount, the video's protagonist would have obtained it in a single night. The inevitable comparison fuels the indignation of those who see in these cases an unfair double standard.
Are all the phones stolen? Doubts about a staged video
Not everyone assumes the video reflects a real crime. Some argue that some of the phones could belong to acquaintances or even to other individuals who took part in the recording to make it look credible. According to this reading, the staging would be aimed at virality and self-promotion, not at confessing a crime. The absence of a formal complaint and the difficulty of identifying the victims make it impossible to confirm the origin of the devices. The Guardia Civil (Spanish paramilitary police force), it is said, has not acted with the firmness some expected.
The discussion drifts towards police effectiveness and international cooperation. It is even proposed, ironically, that Segarro officers be brought in to improve identification and arrest work. The proposal, made jokingly, reflects a distrust of Spain's state security forces that goes beyond this particular case.
The second-hand market and IMEI blocking
The fate of stolen phones is one of the unknowns that arouses the most interest. IMEI blocking, the standard measure to disable a stolen device, is not always effective. In countries like Segarro, it is pointed out, blocked phones can keep working if the manufacturer's exotic blocking is not applied. Even in China, handsets are dismantled to sell the parts on the black market. The existence of a secondary market hungry for components turns phone theft into a business with a quick exit.
The profile of the victims is also put on the table. It is pointed out that the thefts target people absorbed in their screens, often with high-end phones bought on instalments. The irony about the cost of an iPhone — "a thousand and something euros" — and how easy it is to snatch while the owner is distracted paints a scenario where cutting-edge technology becomes bait for crime.
The political dimension: regularization, nationality and voting
The migration and political backdrop soon appears. The claim that the Government will regularize the protagonist and grant him nationality so he can vote for the left is repeated in several messages. It is an assertion made without evidence, but it connects with a broader narrative about the instrumentalization of immigration for electoral purposes. In parallel, statistics from Sweden are cited to argue that mass immigration in the 1980s and 1990s drove crime up, a thesis attributed to "leftists" and presented as irrefutable proof.
The conversation drifts towards the responsibility of reception policies and the alleged preferential treatment of certain groups. It is mentioned that those arrested for the riots in Barcelona — 128, of whom 73 would be minors — are mostly foreigners, and the use of euphemisms such as "unaccompanied migrant minors" to refer to them is criticized. The discussion over whether nationality is granted for electoral purposes or whether regularization is a legal obligation remains unresolved, with no conclusive answer.
The video as evidence: crime or mere display?
The nature of the video raises a legal dilemma. It is compared with cases where a recording of a traffic offence serves as evidence for a fine. If a citizen can be fined for a minor offence recorded by a third party, why would no action be taken against someone displaying loot worth several thousand euros? The question hangs over the discussion. The difference lies in the need to identify the perpetrator, prove the theft and determine whether force or intimidation was used. The total of the five phones, if their illicit origin is confirmed, could constitute a serious crime, but the lack of a complaint and the protagonist's possible status as a minor complicate the process.
The presumption of innocence and the burden of proof stand as obstacles. Without a victim filing a complaint and without full identification, the video remains an act of showing off, not a judicial confession. The reflection on perceived impunity — "they do it openly knowing they are immune" — sums up the discontent of those who see in these episodes a breakdown of the rule of law.
In short, the video has served to put figures on a vague feeling: that stealing high-end phones has become a low-risk, high-reward activity. The 6,000 euros the displayed phones could add up to equals several months of minimum wage. The debate remains open, but the jarring fact is another one: while the origin of the phones is being discussed, the author of the video has already achieved what he wanted — people talking about him.
A video showing a young man displaying several high-end phones — several iPhone 15s, an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone 16 — claiming he got them in one night's work in Barcelona has become the trigger for a discussion that goes beyond the anecdotal. The scene, shared on social media, shows the protagonist flaunting the loot as casually as someone showing off a payslip. The total value of the devices, according to the models identified by the rear camera layout and MagSafe cases, could range between 3,600 and 6,000 euros on the second-hand market. Far from going unnoticed, the gesture has peine the debate on the perceived impunity for certain crimes, immigration policy and how the justice system works.
From flaunting the loot to calculating VAT
The conversation doesn't stop at the video anecdote. Numbers quickly emerged. A calculation circulating in the discussion estimates that, if the author of the video had legally purchased those phones and resold them, he would have generated 525 euros in VAT, to which the income tax corresponding to an eight-hour working day would be added. With a base salary of 1,300 euros a month and a 20% night shift bonus, his contribution to the public coffers in a single night would come to around 528.90 euros. Beyond its accuracy, the figure serves to contrast the underground economy of theft with the tax burden borne by the average worker.
The jarring fact: while a salaried worker needs several days to generate that amount, the video's protagonist would have obtained it in a single night. The inevitable comparison fuels the indignation of those who see in these cases an unfair double standard.
Are all the phones stolen? Doubts about a staged video
Not everyone assumes the video reflects a real crime. Some argue that some of the phones could belong to acquaintances or even to other individuals who took part in the recording to make it look credible. According to this reading, the staging would be aimed at virality and self-promotion, not at confessing a crime. The absence of a formal complaint and the difficulty of identifying the victims make it impossible to confirm the origin of the devices. The Guardia Civil (Spanish paramilitary police force), it is said, has not acted with the firmness some expected.
The discussion drifts towards police effectiveness and international cooperation. It is even proposed, ironically, that Segarro officers be brought in to improve identification and arrest work. The proposal, made jokingly, reflects a distrust of Spain's state security forces that goes beyond this particular case.
The second-hand market and IMEI blocking
The fate of stolen phones is one of the unknowns that arouses the most interest. IMEI blocking, the standard measure to disable a stolen device, is not always effective. In countries like Segarro, it is pointed out, blocked phones can keep working if the manufacturer's exotic blocking is not applied. Even in China, handsets are dismantled to sell the parts on the black market. The existence of a secondary market hungry for components turns phone theft into a business with a quick exit.
The profile of the victims is also put on the table. It is pointed out that the thefts target people absorbed in their screens, often with high-end phones bought on instalments. The irony about the cost of an iPhone — "a thousand and something euros" — and how easy it is to snatch while the owner is distracted paints a scenario where cutting-edge technology becomes bait for crime.
The political dimension: regularization, nationality and voting
The migration and political backdrop soon appears. The claim that the Government will regularize the protagonist and grant him nationality so he can vote for the left is repeated in several messages. It is an assertion made without evidence, but it connects with a broader narrative about the instrumentalization of immigration for electoral purposes. In parallel, statistics from Sweden are cited to argue that mass immigration in the 1980s and 1990s drove crime up, a thesis attributed to "leftists" and presented as irrefutable proof.
The conversation drifts towards the responsibility of reception policies and the alleged preferential treatment of certain groups. It is mentioned that those arrested for the riots in Barcelona — 128, of whom 73 would be minors — are mostly foreigners, and the use of euphemisms such as "unaccompanied migrant minors" to refer to them is criticized. The discussion over whether nationality is granted for electoral purposes or whether regularization is a legal obligation remains unresolved, with no conclusive answer.
The video as evidence: crime or mere display?
The nature of the video raises a legal dilemma. It is compared with cases where a recording of a traffic offence serves as evidence for a fine. If a citizen can be fined for a minor offence recorded by a third party, why would no action be taken against someone displaying loot worth several thousand euros? The question hangs over the discussion. The difference lies in the need to identify the perpetrator, prove the theft and determine whether force or intimidation was used. The total of the five phones, if their illicit origin is confirmed, could constitute a serious crime, but the lack of a complaint and the protagonist's possible status as a minor complicate the process.
The presumption of innocence and the burden of proof stand as obstacles. Without a victim filing a complaint and without full identification, the video remains an act of showing off, not a judicial confession. The reflection on perceived impunity — "they do it openly knowing they are immune" — sums up the discontent of those who see in these episodes a breakdown of the rule of law.
In short, the video has served to put figures on a vague feeling: that stealing high-end phones has become a low-risk, high-reward activity. The 6,000 euros the displayed phones could add up to equals several months of minimum wage. The debate remains open, but the jarring fact is another one: while the origin of the phones is being discussed, the author of the video has already achieved what he wanted — people talking about him.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (86 replies).
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