Don't report your phone missing when that item has been left behind at a crime scene – especially when you are the one who committed the crime.

A group of suspected thieves learned that lesson the hard way in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria, local police reported on Friday.

The owner of a bar told police that after locking up for the night, he surprised a man dressed in a black jacket, crouching by a door that apparently had been forced open, according to Spanish daily ABC.

The man fled from the scene, dropping his cell phone, and a witness told police there had been three men in total, escaping in a small, grey car.

Afterwards, the three reportedly went to a police station to report that a the phone had been stolen in a violent robbery.

Officers had already recovered the phone when the bar owner reported the robbery and showed it to the alleged thieves.

Without hesitation, the owner identified the phone as his own, making it quite simple for officers to then arrest the group for forced robbery.

A gray car fitting the description of the witness was later found near the police station. Inside was a black jacket and two screwdrivers.

One of the men told officers that they had entered the bar, but had not stolen anything.

But police found that this man appeared to be linked to involvement in a similar crime in November, according to Europa Press.

A judge ruled that two of the men were to be released on bail while the third was remanded in custody.