January 12, 2024.- The Civil Guard has arrested a criminal group specialized in raiding homes in isolated rural areas of northern Spain. They had their headquarters in Barcelona, from where they planned the robberies, at least 145 committed in chalets and single-family houses of Aragón, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia. The two main leaders have been detained at El Prat airport while trying to flee the country.
In Castilla y León in total, a total of 26 homes have been attacked in the provinces of Valladolid, León, Ávila, Soria, Palencia and Burgos. Specifically, they raided four homes in Aldeamayor de San Martín (Valladolid), three homes in Cubillos del Sil (León), three homes in Ávila capital; three homes in Ágreda (Soria), a home in Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia).
The province that has recorded the highest number of thefts has been Burgos, with a total of 12 houses assaulted in the municipalities Valle de Mena, Briviesca, Villarcayo, Medina de Pomar, Puebla de Arganzón.
The “Dump” operation of the Civil Guard has allowed to dismantle this organization expert in the theft of jewelry, money and valuables. Numerous stolen effects worth 600,000 euros have been seized and recovered, as well as an electronic device used to prevent dogs from barking in homes, a touchstone with reagents to check the quality of gold and a diamond detector.
The authors, who live in Barcelona, made long trips from their homes to towns located 300 or 400 kilometers away. They committed three or four assaults on homes every day, moved between provinces for several days in a row and returned to Barcelona.
They acted in the evening or at night, forcing doors or windows of houses and taking them out in a few minutes. Their main target was jewelry and cash, but they also stole phones, watches, or valuables.
All these people were divided into two groups, one operational and the other logistical support. They carried out continuous vehicle changes and relays among the people who committed the robberies to avoid being tracked and make investigative work more difficult.
In parallel with the task force, there were other people who provided logistical support in a way that allowed the material authors of the robberies to hide. This support consisted of providing vehicles, accommodation or mobiles to achieve the greatest possible anonymity. Despite all the attempts, the agents managed to draw a chronology of the thefts they were committing and discover the modus operandi and specific role of each one within the criminal organization.
Caught at Barcelona airport before fleeing outside the country
After the investigation carried out by the agents of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard it was discovered that the two main leaders wanted to leave the country from the airport of El Prat in Barcelona. Both were arrested at the time they were going to flee with jewelry, watches and cash.
Subsequently, several homes have also been registered where the remaining members of the group have been detained and where stolen material numbers have been intervened and recovered.
In total, eleven people have been arrested, and nine others investigated, for committing at least 145 crimes of burglary inside homes. The value of the recovered effects exceeds 600,000 euros.
The Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 2 of Huesca conducts the investigation and has ordered the provisional imprisonment of four of the detainees, leaving the rest free on charges.