MADRID, June 20: Spanish police arrested at least 21 people, most of them from Pakistan and Iran, accused of disguising themselves as police and robbing tourists of cash, cameras and cell phones in the northeast Catalonia region, news reports said.

The men allegedly formed part of a ring that approached tourists at airports, train stations and hotels using fake police badges before stealing cash and valuables like cameras and GPS navigational systems, Cadena Ser radio said, quoting police.

They allegedly wore yellow police vests to persuade drivers to stop on a highway northwest of Barcelona.

Most of the men arrested were Pakistani and Iranian nationals, although some held Italian residency permits, the radio station said. Police were not immediately available for comment.

The suspects were arrested at two camp grounds in the coastal towns of Santa Susanna, about 40 miles north of Barcelona, and Calella, 35 miles north of Barcelona, where the men lived with their families.—AP