Four men have been arrested and remanded in custody for allegedly carrying out a series of sophisticated home burglaries across Alicante and Murcia provinces.
The suspects, aged between 26 and 50, allegedly used the so-called “thread method” to identify empty properties. Thin strands of glue were placed between doors and their frames throughout apartment buildings. If a thread remained intact for more than a day, the group assumed the occupants were away and targeted the property.
Doors were normally opened using specialised “impressioning” or “bumping” equipment, which can manipulate locks while leaving little visible evidence. When locks resisted, the burglars allegedly resorted to crowbars and angle grinders.
The Guardia Civil launched Operation Hilito in April after discovering marked homes in several municipalities. Investigators linked the group to burglaries at occupied residences in Ibi, Jijona and Monóvar in Alicante province, as well as Yecla in Murcia.
Four searches in Alicante city recovered cash, jewellery, gold bars, designer clothing and accessories, premium alcoholic drinks and high-end mobile phones. Officers also seized specialist lock-opening equipment, signal jammers and detectors, an imitation pistol, four cars and a motorcycle.
Investigators said the suspects frequently changed vehicles to make police surveillance more difficult and generally selected occupied homes believed to contain valuable possessions. In some cases, victims reportedly failed to realise they had been burgled until they noticed items were missing.
All four men face allegations including burglary of occupied homes, conspiracy to commit offences and membership of a criminal group. An Ibi court ordered them to be held in custody while proceedings continue.
