Two arrested for three robberies at a pig farm in Orihuela

The Alicante Guardia Civil and the Local Police of Cox, Granja de Rocamora, Bigastro, and Benferri have identified and arrested two individuals suspected of committing three robberies in February, March, and April on the same livestock farm where one of them worked.

The inquiry began in February, following the initial report of a robbery on a livestock farm in an area of Orihuela. The victim stated to the Guardia Civil at the Callosa de Segura Police Station that he was pushed into a warehouse and that high-value industrial items and machinery had been stolen, totalling over 4,000 euros. The investigation was promptly handed over to the Torrevieja Territorial Company’s Specialised Team against Farm Robbery (ROCA), who launched Operation Porch25 to find those guilty.

Modus operandi

During the inquiry, and only a month after the first crime, a second robbery happened using the same method, raising concerns that the criminals were quite familiar with the facilities. As a result, the farm’s managers decided to install video surveillance cameras in case the criminals returned, which they did shortly after. The last robbery occurred on April 20th.

Guardia Civil and local police personnel gathered as much information as possible regarding the incident areas. After analysing the evidence, the investigators were able to identify the two alleged criminals and the car they used to perform the crimes, linking them to the three robberies at the pig farm.

On May 14th and 15th, two males of Spanish nationality, aged 27 and 34, both sector employees, were caught, allowing them to carry out the three thefts without being discovered.

Crimes

They face accusations of pilfering a significant amount of industrial tools and apparatus, valued at 13,000 euros. One of them faces a traffic safety violation charge for driving without a licence. Authorities have also seized the vehicle involved in the crimes. The Orihuela Investigating Court No. 2 has taken over the proceedings.

The operation was carried out by the Torrevieja Territorial Company’s Specialised Team against Countryside Robberies (ROCA) in coordination with the Callosa de Segura Police Station, with close collaboration from the Local Police of Cox, Granja Rocamora, Bigastro, and Benferri.

According to a Guardia Civil statement, the coordinated work of the Security Forces and Corps, as well as the relationship maintained with business owners in the sector, means that crimes in agricultural and livestock facilities are becoming less common and that those responsible for them are apprehended. These facilities can be appealing targets for certain types of crime because they are often located far from main population centres.