Spanish police say a man and woman who allegedly stole 45 bottles of wine worth more than 1.6 million euros ($1.7 million) have been captured after a nine-month investigation .

According to Spanish media, the suspects are a former Mexican beauty queen and her Dutch-Romanian boyfriend.

The theft took place on October 27 at the famous El Atrio restaurant-hotel in Caceres, western Spain, according to a police statement.

The couple left Spain a few days later, traveling through several European countries before finally being arrested in Croatia.

The stolen wine included unique vintages, including one worth around €310,000, police said.

What else did investigators say?

Police said the woman checked into the El Atrio hotel using a fake Swiss identity card. Citing sources, Spanish daily El País reported that she wore a wig, sunglasses and a mask as she informed staff that she was dining at the Michelin-starred restaurant with her companion that evening.

“After dining at the restaurant with his accomplice, the two visited the winery at the invitation of the staff, a common practice among customers,” the police statement said.

Later that night, the woman distracted the hotel staff by asking for a meal after the kitchen was closed. Meanwhile, the man allegedly slipped into the wine cellar using a master key he had stolen earlier. He then allegedly loaded three large backpacks with wine bottles, wrapping the bottles in hotel towels.

The couple left around 5:30 a.m., setting off on foot with their backpacks. The theft was only discovered after the alleged perpetrators had left.

Among the missing wines was a bottle of Château d’Yquem from 1806 and six others from the 19th century, El País reported.

“These bottles are part of my personal history and the history of Atrio, but also of Caceres, of its citizens, of all wine lovers around the world,” chef Tono Perez told the newspaper.

Carefully planned operation

The police statement said the two suspects planned the crime meticulously and appeared to be “highly skilled and experienced”.

Investigators said the couple also visited the hotel restaurant three times in the months before the robbery, allegedly “to do a preliminary survey” of the location.

Spanish police said they worked with their counterparts in the Netherlands, Croatia and Romania as well as Interpol to catch the couple, who have not been identified pending formal charges.

The suspects were arrested by Croatian authorities as they crossed from Montenegro to Croatia.

Spanish media reported that the stolen wine has not been found and the investigation is continuing.