Madrid , Spain ( CNN ) -- An African man who claimed he could double your money simply by applying a magic potion to currency notes has been arrested at a Madrid bar where the Ecuadorean owner nearly fell victim to the ploy , Spanish national police said on Thursday . Police arrived in time to catch the suspected thief , from Cameroon , with 1,120 euros ( $ 1,556 ) that had been handed over by the bar owner . The suspect , 28 , alleged he had run out of magic potion and would need to go home to get some more , a police statement and spokesman said . `` It was a very unpleasant surprise , '' bar owner Cesar Tepan told CNN . He told police the suspect had come to the bar a week earlier claiming he could double currency notes by applying a magic potion , the police statement said . Taking a chance , the owner provided a 20 euro note ( nearly $ 28 ) , and the suspect mixed it with various white papers , applied a brown liquid and white power , and mixed it up with cotton . Presto , and there were soon three 20 euro notes visible , the owner told police . `` He returned my 20 , '' said Tepan , who 's lived 16 years in Spain and has owned the bar in central Madrid for 11 years . When the suspect came back last Saturday , the owner provided 1,120 euros in various currency notes , after the owner and the suspect agreed on how to split up the proceeds from the doubled money , the police said . The suspect put the bills in an envelope and sealed it with tape . Then he applied the alleged magic potion , repeating this various times , but finally told the bar owner he had run out of the magic potion and would need to go home and get more . But he promised to leave the sealed envelope at the bar . That 's when an argument ensued and someone , possibly the owner or a client , called the police , a police spokesman said . `` I realized he was trying to take the money , '' Tepan told CNN . A neighbor called the police and Tepan 's adult son arrived and locked the door to the street , with the suspect inside the bar . `` He became nervous , '' Tepan said , adding he was determined not to let the suspect leave until the 1,120 euros had been returned . The police arrived and opened the sealed envelope but found only white papers inside . Then they searched the suspect , and found the 1,120 euros hidden in his clothing , the police statement said .
African was arrested at a supermarket by Spanish police . He had 1,120 euros bar own had asked him to double . The police said he had run out of potion and needed to go home to get more .