A suspected thief almost died after swallowing the gold chain she yanked off her victim’s neck, police have said.

The woman was found semi-conscious on a sun lounger on Marbella’s Faro Beach on the morning of Sunday, July 12.

It came just hours after a tourist reported having been violently robbed in the nearby Puerto Deportivo.

According to Marbella Local Police, the victim told officers he had been approached by two young men accompanied by a woman, before one of the suspects yanked a gold chain from around his neck.

Officers reviewed CCTV footage, which showed the two male suspects fleeing the scene.

Patrols were alerted with descriptions of the pair, and another unit quickly located two men nearby who matched them. The victim also identified them at the scene.

The suspects, both Moroccan men in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of violent robbery.

However, despite searching them, officers were unable to find the stolen chain. The woman seen with them had also disappeared.

Just three hours later, police were called to Playa del Faro, beside Marbella’s marina, after reports of a young woman lying semi-conscious on beach sunbeds and struggling to breathe.

Unable to identify her because she was carrying no ID, officers examined one of the two mobile phones found in her possession in an attempt to establish her identity.

On the unlocked device they found a copy of a foreign identity document belonging to one of the men who had just been arrested over the robbery.

The woman was rushed to the Hospital Costa del Sol, where doctors discovered an object blocking her airway.

During emergency surgery, medics removed a gold chain lodged in her throat.

Police were informed by the hospital later that morning, and officers were posted to guard the woman while she recovered.

She remained sedated due to the seriousness of the incident and was unable to be questioned immediately.

Once her condition improved, she was discharged from hospital directly into police custody.

The investigation has been led by the Policia Nacional, with all three suspects now having appeared before a judge on suspicion of their involvement in the violent robbery.

Investigators believe the chain removed from the woman’s throat is the same one stolen from the tourist during the attack.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.