The Civil Guard has solved five robberies at businesses in the Murcia region, four of them involving violence or intimidation, after arresting four experienced offenders.
The investigations were carried out under the Safe Commerce Plan in cooperation with the local police forces of Cieza and Archena.
One of the main suspects was arrested after allegedly using a syringe to threaten staff in three separate incidents. The first took place in Cieza, where a man entered a supermarket armed with a syringe. He intimidated employees and, although he failed to steal the day’s takings, fled with several products.
Days later, in Archena, a man with similar characteristics entered a bank branch and then a tobacconist’s shop. Again using a syringe to threaten staff, he allegedly stole €540 and a carton of cigarettes from the tobacconist.
Civil Guard investigators, working with Archena Local Police, gathered security camera footage, witness statements and other evidence that led to the identification of the suspect, a Cieza resident with previous convictions for similar crimes. He was arrested only hours after the robberies and is being investigated over three alleged violent robberies.
In a separate case in Cieza, the Civil Guard arrested another suspect over a violent snatch robbery outside a bakery. The attack happened early in the morning as an employee was preparing to open the premises. A man approached suddenly, grabbed her handbag with force and ran away.
Security cameras near the bakery helped investigators trace the suspect’s escape route. Officers later identified and arrested a young man from Cieza with a long criminal record.
Two more men were arrested in Cieza in connection with a break-in at a small supermarket. Investigators say the suspects forced entry into the premises and stole money from the till along with several electronic devices.
The Civil Guard said the arrests form part of ongoing efforts to protect local businesses and tackle repeat offenders targeting shops and workers in the Murcia region.
