As part of Operation Tenazas 25, the Guardia Civil eliminated a wandering criminal group that specialised in shopping malls and house thefts. The Civil Guard has arrested five men, aged 37 to 57, who have committed numerous crimes in the provinces of Alicante and Murcia.
The operation began in January 2025, in response to an attempted burglary at a pet store in the Finestrat shopping centre. A Guardia Civil patrol intervened quickly, arresting one of the culprits as he attempted to break into the safe.
Four more people fled the area but were caught on surveillance cameras behaving hooded and using specialised instruments like sledgehammers, crowbars, jammers, and walkie-talkies.
Officers were able to identify the members of the group, who were based in towns such as Villajoyosa, Orihuela, Torrevieja, and Los Montesinos, thanks to the Villajoyosa Civil Guard’s Investigation Department’s investigative work, evidence analysis, and surveillance.
Car theft
Investigators discovered a clear organisational structure, with one member committed to stealing vehicles for use in robberies, others specialising in breaking into access points and safes, and others in logistics or monitoring.
The crew acted with a high level of specialisation, completing a preliminary study on their targets, checking security systems, potential escape routes, and the availability of valuables, all while using stolen cars.
Finally, an operation was conducted, which resulted in the arrest of five members of the organisation in the cities of Villajoyosa, Orihuela, Torrevieja, and Los Montesinos, as well as the search for rural property in the latter.
On the scene, they seized a firearm, several signal jammers, walkie-talkies, lock-picking gear, and a stolen car. Based on the evidence acquired, the suspect was linked to five burglaries in Dolores and Finestrat, Alicante, as well as La Tercia, San Javier, and Albujón, Murcia.
The inmates, five males of Spanish, Bulgarian, Albanian, and Bosnian nationality, ages 37 to 57, are accused of belonging to a criminal group, as well as five counts of burglary, vehicle theft, and concealment.
The ongoing processes in Benidorm courts could potentially lead to additional arrests.
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