The Guardia Civil has dismantled a criminal gang accused of carrying out a series of robberies at banks and gambling establishments across nine Spanish provinces.
Five people have been arrested in connection with 52 offences, including six committed in Alicante province. Gambling venues in Torrevieja, Novelda and Crevillent were among the targets.
The investigation, codenamed Operation Otello, was led by the Judicial Police Unit of the Guardia Civil in Albacete and coordinated by a court in Hellín.
The alleged gang was based in the Region of Murcia but regularly travelled to commit robberies. The five suspects, aged between 39 and 52 and of Serbian and Spanish nationality, have been remanded in custody.
The organisation has been linked to crimes in Alicante, Albacete, Almería, Murcia and Valencia.
Investigators believe the gang was responsible for 11 bank raids, including seven completed robberies and four attempted break-ins. It was also allegedly involved in 15 raids on gambling establishments, nine of which were completed and six attempted.
Other offences attributed to the group include robberies at car dealerships, vehicle theft, document forgery and the theft of registration plates.
The investigation began in March following a robbery at a bank in Ontur, Albacete, where a safe containing more than €66,000 was stolen.
Investigators subsequently identified a highly organised group whose members had clearly defined roles. The suspects allegedly forced their way into premises before using hydraulic equipment and other heavy tools to remove or open safes.
When possible, entire safes were taken to isolated locations, where they could be forced open with less risk of the gang being discovered.
The suspects allegedly used stolen high-end vehicles fitted with false number plates or plates taken from similar vehicles. They wore balaclavas, gloves and dark clothing to conceal their identities.
The gang also used properties described by investigators as “nests”, where stolen vehicles and tools were hidden and future raids were planned.
Six properties were searched during the final phase of the operation. Officers recovered more than €34,000 believed to have been stolen during the gang’s most recent robbery.
Two high-end vehicles, three forged driving licences, communications equipment and frequency jammers were also seized. Officers discovered balaclavas, gloves and a large collection of tools, including hydraulic cutters, angle grinders, bolt cutters, sledgehammers and crowbars.
The Guardia Civil said the operation had dismantled one of the main gangs specialising in this type of robbery along Spain’s Mediterranean coast and in the southeast of the country.
