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TORONTO — A trio of Chileans known for using condiments — and, in some cases, their own excrement — in thefts in Spain and Germany appears to have been accused of similar tactics in Toronto.

Juan Jamie Loaiza Eguren, 67, Carlos Embry Ibarra, 64, and Angel Moforte Mardones, 69, are facing robbery, mischief and theft charges over a series of alleged sleight-of-hand thefts involving spraying mustard on seniors that resulted in $28,000 being stolen over the last four months.

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The suspects all share the names and country of origin of men accused of similar crimes in Europe. In separate incidents, one was arrested in Spain, another had to flee the country to avoid 17 prosecutions, and the third was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison in Germany.

Toronto police told the National Post they are aware of the overseas incidents.

Spanish media outlet La Voz de Galicia reported that a man with the same name and nationality as Eguren was arrested in Santiago, Spain, in 2003 for a distraction crime that used ketchup instead of mustard. The men charged in Santiago would wait to spot victims withdrawing a significant amount of cash from a bank, follow them, spray them with ketchup, and steal their money while they were distracted with the cleanup. This group was also spotted operating in Pontevedra, Madrid, Valencia and Santander.