The man, a Romanian in his early twenties, took a phone left at a shop in central Geneva for repair, but in his haste to get away he left his own phone behind, local police said.
The shop owner had identified the thief from pictures found on his phone, allowing officers to spot him sitting at an outdoor cafe on Wednesday.
The man, who was also suspected of being in Switzerland illegally, has denied any wrongdoing, police said.
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