National Police arrest a “hugger mugger” ring in Alicante

With the arrest of a man and two women who specialise in the “affectionate embrace” method of committing violent robberies and thefts, the National Police have dismantled a roving criminal group in Alicante.

Police arrested the detainees as they fled in a vehicle in downtown Alicante, allegedly committing a theft.

According to a statement from the Police Headquarters, a high-end watch that was stolen from a 79-year-old male was recovered during this operation.

The National Police were informed of the incident by a call to the CIMACC Room at 091, which reported a recent theft that was undertaken using the “affectionate hug” method. Two women fled in a vehicle after stealing a high-end watch from an elderly man.

In this manner, the agents verified the data regarding the physical characteristics of the perpetrators and the vehicle used for the escape, which was likely operated by a male, through the victim, who was in “good condition,” and a witness.

In the interim, a vehicle that matched the characteristics provided was detected by another police unit 400 meters from the site.

Additionally, the vehicle was operated by a male driver, and the occupants observed a woman with characteristics that were consistent with those described in the statement. Consequently, they stopped the vehicle, only to discover that there was an additional woman in the rear seat.

Later, the officers approached the vehicle and observed the woman lying in the back seat, attempting to “disguisedly hide something” between the seats. The police discovered that the watch was identical to the one that had been stolen from the victim mere minutes prior.

As a result, they apprehended the three individuals on suspicion of larceny and membership in a criminal organisation after confirming that they were the purported perpetrators of the events.

It was discovered during the investigation that these same individuals may have been responsible for a robbery that occurred in the municipality of Petrer in Alicante that morning.

An unknown woman accosted the 74-year-old victim in public. The woman hugged her while paying him compliments.

She immediately recognised that he had stolen a gold chain from her, and in an effort to prevent her from fleeing, he seized her arm. The perpetrator, during the struggle, acted “violently” against the victim, resulting in her falling to the ground and sustaining a distal fracture of her right radius.

The victim observed the perpetrator of the assault exiting the scene in a vehicle that bore similarities to the one that was employed in the Alicante incident. The police were furnished with the license plate of the vehicle by a witness.

Following the police investigation, the arrested individuals, aged 20 to 21, were taken before the on-duty investigating courts in the city of Alicante, where the officers investigating these thefts were able to attribute the perpetrators to them.