- Three men, aged between 22 and 51, were caught in the act and arrested while robbing a supermarket in Coín.
- The gang used violence and intimidation against store employees and customers to steal the day’s takings.
August 13, 2025 – The Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal gang responsible for a series of violent supermarket robberies in Málaga province. The suspects used large machetes and imitation assault rifles to intimidate staff and customers before stealing the daily cash earnings. The investigation, code-named Operation “Guamparas”, resulted in the arrest of three men.
The operation began in early June following a robbery in Coín. Weeks of investigation revealed that the gang carefully scouted and monitored their targets in advance, striking during business hours—usually close to closing time—to maximise their haul.
During the robberies, two members of the group would enter the store wearing ski masks and carrying imitation firearms and large machetes. They would threaten staff and customers and forcibly take the cash from the registers. Meanwhile, a third accomplice waited outside in a getaway vehicle fitted with false licence plates to facilitate their escape.
Once investigators understood the gang’s modus operandi, they set up a surveillance operation that allowed them to catch all three men red-handed as they held up a supermarket in Coín.
The suspects have been charged with four counts of armed robbery, falsifying documents, belonging to a criminal organisation, and two counts of theft. Following a court order from the Judge of First Instance in Coín, all three have been remanded in custody.
A search of their residence in Cártama (Málaga) uncovered numerous items and weapons used in the robberies committed in June and July.
The operation was carried out by officers from various units of the Civil Guard Company in Coín.
