I Was Robbed, But I Didn’t Loose A Thing.

I was robbed in Cusco on Halloween night, but I didn’t lose a thing. Someone snatched my phone at a street party, and with the help of Cusco’s tourist police I tracked it down at a stolen-goods market and got it back the very next day. Here is how it happened.

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN, AND YES, I FOUND MY STOLEN PHONE…

Where Stolen Things End Up in Cusco

After spending two months in Cusco, I was well acquainted with every corner of the city, and yes, there are shady places. One of them is “El Paraiso Market”, where stolen things are sold.

Under Peruvian law, not only selling but also buying a stolen item is a crime.

The Night I Was Robbed

On Halloween night, while people grooved at local bars in spooky outfits, I joined a street party to feel the celebration. I was a bit dazed and drunk after whiling away the evening swilling pints of beer with backpackers I had met at the hostel.

I patted my pockets, only to realise my phone wasn’t there. Someone in the crowd had snatched it.

Full of optimism, I rushed back to my hostel to track the device through “Android Device Manager”. To my sheer disappointment, it wasn’t showing.

Reporting the Theft to the Police

Much against the locals’ advice, I walked into the police station to file a report. The scene was nowhere near pleasant: two drunk young local men who seemed to have been in a fight, blood dripping from one’s chin and the other’s forehead, were pleading with an officer who was giving them the cold shoulder.

As a foreigner, or rather a gringo (a term Latinos use for foreigners), I was treated much better than I expected. I was offered a seat while a senior official rushed in curiously.

“¿Todo bien, señor?” (Is everything alright, mister?) he asked. Reassured by his tone, I recounted the incident in my best spoken Spanish.

The Tourist Police Step In

He hurriedly phoned someone and reported the incident, and within minutes two tourist police officers walked in. After a quick introduction, he outlined the case to them, and they drove me to the Tourist Police Station to file a report.

I explained the whole obnoxious incident, which the officer recorded in a logbook, stamped and signed. With growing hope, I shook his hand before being driven back to my hostel.

Finding My Phone at El Paraiso Market

The next morning, biting my nails, I kept refreshing the Android Device Manager page, hoping my phone’s location would flash up. After fruitless attempts, I braved walking into El Paraiso Market with no money or valuables on me.

I strolled through a few shops pretending to look for a phone case. In one of them, a phone on display with the same characteristics as mine caught my eye. I asked the vendor to show it to me, and he was overjoyed to see a buyer.

Negotiating Like a Buyer

He quoted 250 USD and presented it as a cast-off device, NOT A STOLEN ONE. Playing the inquisitive buyer, I negotiated and we agreed on 200 USD.

I then told him I was out of cash and had to go to the nearest ATM. He promised to keep the phone for an hour, with no clue of what was coming next.

Outside the perilous El Paraiso, I scampered through the jostling crowd down a crummy, narrow alleyway where vendors sold cuy (guinea pig) meat and fake herbal medicines. I hailed a taxi carefully, making sure nobody noticed my movements.

The Sting Operation

“Estación de policía turística, por favor” (Tourist Police Station, please), I told the taxi driver watchfully.

As he pulled over, I burst through the door of the police station with adrenaline rushing at the prospect of getting my phone back. I gasped out the news to the officer, who gathered a group of police and laid out a plan. Two uniformed officers and one in plain clothes joined me as we drove to the shopping centre.

As planned, I went in first and got hold of my phone. The plain-clothes officer then walked in and asked if it was the one. This irked the vendor, who thought I was being told it was a stolen device, and he started arguing with the policeman.

Then the officer flashed his ID and the two uniformed officers walked in. The vendor tried his best to defend his innocence, but knowing his statements were baseless, he confessed that it was a stolen device.

We drove to the police station, where his belongings were confiscated after a thorough search. My phone was handed back to me, and I was driven back to my hostel.

Locals had warned me that the police were unfriendly and corrupt. Well, as I always say, “Believe what you see, not what you hear.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do stolen phones end up in Cusco?

In my case, the phone turned up for sale at El Paraiso Market, a place known for selling stolen goods.

Is it illegal to buy stolen goods in Peru?

Yes. Under Peruvian law, both selling and buying a stolen item is a crime.

Should you report a theft to the police in Cusco?

Despite locals’ warnings, the police and tourist police treated me well and helped me recover my phone, so it is worth filing a report.

Conclusion

I was robbed, but I didn’t lose a thing, thanks to a bit of courage, some Spanish and the tourist police in Cusco. If something is stolen from you in Peru, report it: you might be surprised by the outcome.