I'm in a busy Madrid metro station with 'Patrulla Madrid', a grassroots vigilante movement that has taken on the city's pickpocket epidemic. Patrulla Madrid films and exposes pickpockets across the city's streets and stations, a strategy that has earned the group more than a million followers across their social media platforms. They most often encounter thieves linked to Bulgarian, Bosnian and Romanian groups, although they also spot Chileans, Peruvians, Algerians and Moroccans. A Patrulla Madrid member invited him to join after realising he was already chasing thieves on his own for what he jokingly describes as 'fun'. 'Patrulla Madrid has helped us identify suspects, faces, networks and nationalities,' the second officer says.

Source: Daily Mail January 02, 2026 05:51 UTC