Spanish police arrest man in Elche for stealing neighbour's €10,000 Lego collection
A 31-year-old man was detained in Elche after breaking into his neighbour's home and stealing a collection of Lego pieces valued at more than €10,000, which he then sold through second-hand shops.
The break-in
The theft took place during the last weekend of May 2026 at a single-family home in the district of Torrellano, in the municipality of Elche, Alicante province. The victim, who runs a shop selling these construction toys in the province, reported that a window was broken and a large quantity of collector's Lego articles was taken from inside. He detailed each piece in his complaint, estimating the total value at over €10,000. Some items were so rare, he told police, that no private individual in Spain could realistically possess them.
Tracing the stolen goods
Officers from the Judicial Police unit at the Elche police station took over the investigation. They discovered that a single individual had sold a large batch of the items at a second-hand goods store in Elche. Cross-checking other second-hand sales channels led them to find that the same person had also sold more objects possibly linked to the robbery at another second-hand shop in Alicante.
Recovery and arrest
Suspecting the goods were the stolen property, the police seized the items as a precaution. Soon afterwards the victim identified them as part of his collection, and they were returned to him. The seller turned out to be a neighbour of the victim. Police then tracked down the suspect and arrested him just as he was about to sell another eleven sets from the collection at one of the second-hand shops. Those sets were also recovered and given back.
House search
A search of the arrested man's home uncovered a further large batch of the stolen collector's items, along with other articles. According to police statements, almost the entire collection was recovered: both the items already sold at the two second-hand stores and those still kept at the suspect's residence. The 31-year-old is now in custody on suspicion of burglary.
