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15 arrested in Benidorm for money laundering and for making fake documents

National Police Money Launder

In Benidorm, the National Police have broke up a criminal group that was involved in forgery, money laundering, and damage to property crimes. As a result of this action, fifteen people have been arrested and a lot of cash, electronics, and fake documents have been taken away.


Several crimes were reported to the National Police station in the Hortaleza area of Madrid, which led to the start of the operation. As soon as agents took their first steps, they were able to identify the ringleader. A SIM card that had been linked to 140 stolen cell phones was also found to be being used. On that card, texts that looked like SMS were sent about strange transfers made to a bank account in Germany.

A Pakistani man was in charge of the organisation. He set the rules for the group, made sure that fake papers and expensive cell phones were released, and made sure that foreigners, mostly Pakistanis, got their visas.

While the investigation was going on, it was found that the group’s boss used a “call centre” service to get into stolen cell phones and maybe get bank passwords. There were 784 contacts with this service over the course of one and a half months.

A number of phone shops in Benidorm were also used by the network to store and sell stolen phones. In one of them, police caught a person who had several cell phones on him, including one that had been reported stolen.

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So that they wouldn’t be caught when the cops checked out businesses, the people involved kept and processed the devices in their homes. Members of the organisation also did jobs to counter-surveillance in the area around the building.

At the end of the operation, six searches were done in Benidorm, in two homes and four businesses. In total, fifteen people were arrested, thirteen men and two women from Spain, Pakistan, and Russia. They were aged 19 to 61. There were arrest records for six of the people being held for different crimes, and one of them was in Spain illegally.

During the raid, police seized 437 cell phones from different price ranges, three laptops, two hard drives, 34 pen drives, 25 passports, 16 ID cards from different countries, 9,100 euros, and 580 pounds in cash.

The Benidorm Court of First Instance heard three of the people who were being held. The investigation is still going on, and the goal is to find any possible helpers and find out if there are any links to other crimes that are similar.

What do crime groups do with them? With the help of social engineering, they use them to pull off large-scale scams. They get away with their crimes by pretending to be banks, phone companies, or other legal businesses. They make people think there is a problem with their bank account, credit card, or cell phone. They trick people into giving them private information like passwords or security codes by telling them lies. They can use the information they got to get into bank accounts, open stolen phones, or commit financial fraud.

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Why do they use a “call centre”? Because they can call a lot of people at once, this service lets them commit crimes on a large scale. You can trust these services because they are well organised and use scripts to make them look professional and believable. Finally, they use fake phone numbers to keep from being caught, which gives them a lot of privacy.


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Costa Blanca

Criminal group dedicated to burglary on farms in the Vega Baja dismantled

As part of Operation “Entrada25,” the Alicante Guardia Civil has dismantled a criminal organisation that was operating in the Vega Baja region and was responsible for burglaries on agricultural estates. Part of the stolen goods have been recovered and returned to their legitimate owners, but the total value of the stolen goods is estimated to exceed 40,000 euros. One individual has been apprehended, and two others are currently being investigated as a consequence of the investigation.

In late 2024, the Torrevieja Field Robbery Team initiated an investigation into the incident in response to numerous complaints. The perpetrators were observed by the investigators to be obtaining access to the facilities by forcing locks or doors, exploiting periods when no personnel were working, and stealing high-value products such as fertilisers, compost, and phytosanitary products.

The Torrevieja Field Robbery Team received assistance from the Seprona (National Police Service) in Guardamar del Segura, the Guardia Civil stations in Guardamar and Callosa de Segura, and the local police forces of Catral, Almoradí, Rafal, Cox, Granja de Rocamora, Algorfa, Benijófar, Formentera del Segura, Rojales, Benejúzar, Los Montesinos, and San Miguel de Salinas. The operation’s success was significantly influenced by the coordinated efforts of all divisions, as well as the investigation and analysis of evidence that was obtained. This led to the identification and location of the perpetrators and the discovery of some of the stolen material.

Additionally, the operation included numerous examinations of suspicious farms, warehouses, and vehicles, which were crucial in elucidating the events.

One of the suspects, a 35-year-old male, was apprehended as part of the established operations at the end of March. Subsequently, two additional males, aged 39 and 48, were identified and investigated. Five counts of burglary and an additional count of membership in a criminal organisation have been filed against each of the three individuals.

The Orihuela Court of Instruction issued an order for the detainee’s release, subject to the imposition of precautionary measures.

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The Civil Guard remains committed to the prevention of this form of crime and underscores the significance of public collaboration in the fight against agricultural theft.


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Costa Blanca

Swift Arrest of Dutch Fugitive in Benidorm

National Police

A 28-year-old Dutch fugitive who was hiding in Benidorm was identified by his evasive conduct. A man in the Marina municipality has been apprehended by National Police officers. The man was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant for Extradition (EAW) issued by the Dutch authorities.

The crime of illegally possessing a firearm in 2024 led to this individual’s nine-month imprisonment. In mid-April, the fugitive fled to Spain after failing to comply with the sentence. The requesting country issued a European Arrest Warrant, with four months remaining.

The fugitive was apprehended by officers from the Benidorm Citizen Security Brigade after they identified him as acting evasively in their presence and verified that he had a European arrest warrant issued.

In January 2024, the detainee was apprehended by the Dutch police while carrying a short firearm without a valid licence. As a result, he was sentenced to three years in pre-sentence prison for the actions he committed.

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Costa Blanca

Torrevieja Local Police remove e-scooters

The Local Police of Torrevieja have removed 22 e-scooters that were improperly parked on the promenade adjacent to Avenue de la Purísima.
The vehicles were reported for parking in a pedestrian zone in a manner that did not adhere to the current regulations.
Parking is not permitted in pedestrian areas, walkways or footpaths. The passage should also not be obstructed by scooters, which should be parked in approved areas.


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Villajoyosa Medieval Market Saturday 3rd May 2025
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Experience Villajoyosa's lovely coastal village and annual mediaeval market on a day trip. You have time to explore the town's attractions, seafront restaurants and cafes, [...]
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