A criminal gang has left dozens of victims in its wake after allegedly travelling the country in a campervan on a ‘burglary tour’.
The Policia Nacional has arrested four members of the cell, who are accused of a series of thefts and burglaries in wealthy, tourist-heavy areas.
They have been held in prison after being linked to at least 25 theft-related offences, causing an estimated €200,000 in losses.
The group was intercepted in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol after officers tracked their journey from France.
During the arrest, police seized €24,000 in cash, along with high-value electronic devices and jewellery, all hidden inside secret compartments built into the motorhome.
A mobile crime operation
The investigation began in September following the theft of a safe from a shopping centre in Elche (Alicante), where around €8,800 in cash was stolen.
Further enquiries allowed officers to identify the suspects and confirm they were part of an organised criminal group.
Police later linked the same group to at least 10 additional offences, including the theft of €60,000 from an armoured cash vehicle in Ibiza.
Investigators discovered that the suspects lived permanently on the move, using a motorhome to travel across Spain and avoiding having a fixed address.
They primarily carried out two types of crime: the theft of safes and burglaries from vehicles, focusing on areas with high purchasing power and large tourist populations.
According to police, the group carried out extensive surveillance before striking and worked in a highly coordinated manner.
Their aim was to steal cash, jewellery and electronic equipment, which was later sold on the black market.
Officers also found that the suspects used multiple false identities, with one individual allegedly holding documentation under as many as 24 different names.
Arrest on the Costa del Sol
Police became aware that the gang had travelled from Nice, where they were based in France, to southern Spain, raising suspicions they were preparing to commit further offences. The four suspects were eventually located and arrested in Benalmadena.
A search of the motorhome uncovered multiple hidden compartments containing €24,000 in cash, a further €1,000 in foreign currency, a 100-franc gold coin, expensive electronic devices and several pieces of jewellery.
In total, officers have now solved 25 offences linked to the group, committed in parts of Alicante, Málaga, the Balearic Islands and the Madrid region. The financial damage caused is estimated at around €200,000.
All four suspects have been sent to prison as the investigation continues.
Read more Costa del Crime news at the Spanish Eye.
