Costa Blanca
Police dismantle a network of “hugger muggers”

The National Police have apprehended over twenty individuals in various regions of the country, including Alicante, on suspicion of engaging in violent assaults using the “hugger mugger” technique. Using this method, the alleged perpetrators acquired loot and subsequently sent it to Romania.
The police operation, which was coordinated by Europol and conducted in collaboration with the Romanian Police, resulted in 21 arrests, 13 of which were made in Murcia and 8 in Madrid. Additionally, Europol conducted 16 searches in both countries, obtaining evidence in connection with 46 alleged property offences.
Therefore, the case continues to be unresolved until the apprehension of four additional suspects who are currently located outside of Spain and have already been issued international arrest warrants.
The network was specialised in violent robberies and larceny in the vicinity of, as well as in tourist areas of Madrid, particularly in the area of, according to a statement from the General Directorate of Police that reports on the operation.
The criminal modality of the involves robberies that are conducted through a, in which the robbers embrace the victims before stealing without warning.
Clan leaders would disseminate criminal equipment and vehicles throughout the country and control the environment from their typically isolated safe houses. The network would designate these houses as temporary centres of operation.
Simultaneously, one of the clans was accountable for the collection of the stolen products and their shipment to Romania via parcel, where they were discovered, along with five financial assets.
They functioned as a duo. In the vehicle that approached the victims, a male was the driver, while the woman committed the crime.
The network frequently targeted elderly and vulnerable individuals in violent assaults that occurred near banks. Yet again, one member would remain in the vehicle, while the other would approach the victim with his face concealed by a mask, hat, and eyeglasses. The latter would employ any ruse to deceive and rob the victim.
The investigation commenced in Benidorm (Alicante), following a burglary in which a woman violently stole the jewellery the victim was wearing on her wrist.
Agents have since identified similar incidents across the nation, purportedly perpetrated by the same organisation. This organisation is composed of numerous family clans of Romanian descent, the majority of which are dedicated to the repetitive theft of high-end watches and jewellery.
The organisation’s ownership of numerous properties and high-end vehicles in their home nation was the result of money laundering from stolen assets throughout Europe, according to police.
The police were able to thwart a criminal campaign launched in Murcia by locating the residences of those under investigation in both countries.
https://x.com/policia/status/1910964970117792138
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Costa Blanca
Man who held and beat his ex-partner in Torrevieja to be tried on Thursday

The man who is accused of restraining his ex-partner in a Torrevieja residence for hours and striking her on the head and stomach will be put on trial on Thursday.
At approximately 11:00 p.m. on November 1st, 2023, the incident happened. After a two-year relationship, the defendant accosted his ex-partner on the street. He secured a cloth sack over her head, covered her mouth, and coerced her into a vehicle operated by an unidentified individual. The vehicle was to transport her to a residence in a nearby housing development.
Upon his arrival, he confined her to one of the house’s rooms and spent the night repeatedly entering and exiting the room in an attempt to physically assault her. The woman was able to escape from the residence at 2:00 p.m. the following day.
The Prosecutor’s Office is requesting an eight-year prison sentence for the offences of unlawful detention, assault, and threats. The trial is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. in Section 1 of the Alicante Provincial Court on Thursday, May 8th.
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Costa Blanca
Three-year-old boy injured after being attacked by a dog in Orihuela

In the Orihuela district of La Murada, a three-year-old child sustained multiple facial and back injuries as a result of a dog attack.
The incident occurred at the intersection of Calle Antonio Balaguer and Camino de los Almendros slightly after 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 3rd.
The child and his mother had gone to their neighbour’s house across the street to eat and spend the afternoon when the dog emerged from the garage and “hooked” the child, according to witnesses.
The family members’ prompt action in separating the large, mixed-breed dog prevented “a tragedy,” as per the same sources.
It appears that the neighbours have encountered comparable hazardous circumstances in the past; however, they have not culminated in an attack, as they have in this instance, despite the numerous warnings they have issued to the proprietor.
The site was attended to by the local police and Guardia Civil. The SAMU (Safety and Emergency Medical Service) was dispatched by the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre, which received the call at 2:38 p.m. A Basic Life Support unit was mobilised and conveyed the child to the Orihuela health centre upon the medical team’s arrival, as the child appeared to have sustained some scratches.
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Costa Blanca
Tourist rentals are prohibited in all residential communities

Until recently, any owner was able to convert their property into a tourist flat by obtaining the corresponding regional or local tourist licence. However, this has been altered: Since April 3rd, 2025, tourist rentals are automatically prohibited in all residential communities. Only a specific agreement at a meeting can authorise it.
This is a significant reform of the Horizontal Property Law, as it now grants residents’ associations legal control over this activity. The new Article 17.12, which has entirely altered the previous legal framework regarding tourist apartments, is the critical factor.
What is the new legislation regarding visitor apartments?
The following is established by the new Article 17.12 of the Horizontal Property Law:
“The express agreement that authorises, restricts, conditions, or prohibits the activity (…) will necessitate the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the total number of owners, who, in turn, represent three-fifths of the participation quotas.”
Therefore, without the community’s prior consent, no proprietor will be able to rent out their property for tourist purposes. Only the explicit consent of a qualified majority can lift the comprehensive prohibition.
The primary modification is that the agreement no longer prohibits it, but now permits it.
Tourist rentals were permissible prior to April 3rd, 2025, unless the community agreed to prohibit them at a meeting.
Tourist rentals are prohibited as of April 3, 2025, unless the community explicitly authorises them with the affirmative vote of three-fifths of the total number of proprietors and members. In other words, the burden of proof is reversed: authorisation is now necessary rather than prohibition.
What if there are already tourist rentals in flats?
The reform does not have a retroactive effect. This implies that proprietors who were already legitimately conducting their enterprises prior to April 3, 2025, and who were registered under tourism regulations, are permitted to continue doing so. This clause is specified in the second supplementary provision of the law.
Nevertheless, the community may also consent to a surcharge of up to 20% on common expenditures for those homes, as a form of compensation for the increased use of common areas, with a 3/5 majority.
What is the function of the bylaws of a neighbourhood community?
The constitutive document or the community statutes are indispensable. This prohibition is fully enforceable and remains in place if they already contain a clause that expressly prohibits tourist use or any commercial activity, as confirmed by the Supreme Court in rulings of 2023 and 2024.
The community can also stop the activity immediately if the statutes change the usage regime, even without new ballots.
What happens if a landowner disregards the regulations and rents out their property without authorisation?
In that event, the community is entitled to request that the activity be ceased. The president, any proprietor, or even an affected occupant may initiate the procedure. If the offender persists, the community may pursue legal action.
Is there any additional requirement for renting a property for tourist purposes, in addition to community approval?
The owner is still required to acquire the appropriate tourist licence in accordance with regional or municipal regulations, although the community has authorised the activity. This administrative permit is essential, but it is insufficient to initiate the activity; community authorisation is required.
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