A Romanian mafia dedicated to robbing tourists across Spain has been brought down following an international police operation.
The Policia Nacional, Romanian police and Europol have arrested 21 people, while four remain wanted by the authorities.
It comes just as thousands of British holidaymakers are heading to Spain for their Easter holidays.
READ MORE: Police issue crime warning to Brits visiting Benidorm this summer
The suspects are linked to at least 46 robberies across the provinces of Alicante, Murcia and Malaga.
They are accused of using the ‘loving embrace’ method on unsuspecting tourists to rob them of their watches, wallets and jewellery.
The modus operandi sees pickpockets approach their victims and attempt to give them a hug or kiss, feigning familiarity or pretending they just want to say hello – or sometimes even pretending to be working for a charity.
Meanwhile, they or their accomplices will take advantage of the mark being distracted to pick their pockets or bags.
The gang busted this week is thought to have been operating for some time, hitting up tourist hotspots like Benidorm and the Costa del Sol.
During raids on 16 properties (five in Spain and 11 in Romania), police seized stolen phones, jewellery, mounds of cash (including British pounds) and high-end vehicles such as a red Ferrari and a white Mercedes.
Authorities have frozen 56 bank accounts and seven properties belonging to the suspects.
In a statement, the Policia Nacional said: ‘They selected safe houses as temporary centres of operations, and from there, the clan leaders controlled the surrounding area and distributed criminal equipment and vehicles throughout the country.
‘They carried out their criminal activity in two areas: violent robberies and thefts near bank branches, and pickpocketing in tourist areas.’
The force said one of the clans was responsible for ‘making express trips from Madrid’ to the bases of operations ‘to collect the stolen items and send them by parcel to Romania.’
It added: ‘Based in Madrid, they operated throughout Spain… the investigation began following a robbery in the city of Benidorm, in which a woman attacked the victim and stole her bracelet.’
The force began a nationwide investigation, focusing on an organised criminal gang made up of several Romanian families.
‘The clans were based in Madrid, but their criminal activity extended throughout the country, especially in the provinces of Alicante, Murcia, and Malaga,’ the statement said, adding that their safe houses were hidden and tucked away in rural areas.
It explained: ‘These were generally isolated houses in rural areas, and from there, the clan leaders controlled the surrounding area and distributed criminal equipment and vehicles, traveling hundreds of kilometers daily to reach target cities in search of potential victims.
‘They used a consistent modus operandi, operating in pairs consisting of a man and a woman. The man was responsible for driving the vehicle in which they approached the victims, while the woman carried out the crime.’
In some cases, two men would hang around cash machines to look for vulnerable targets to rob, mostly the elderly.
Police said the con targeting tourists saw women working in groups of four of five.
The statement said: ‘While some monitored the surroundings, others primarily approached foreign tourists and pretended to belong to a deaf-mute association.
‘The next step was to steal any valuables, such as cash or electronic devices, using a folder as a crutch.’
The gang members have been charged with series of crimes related to robbery and trafficking of stolen goods.
