As part of Operation Vanchange, the Guardia Civil has arrested five people and is looking into two others for their roles in 58 thefts that took place at supermarkets in numerous regions, including Alicante. The group worked together in a very organised way, using rental cars and tricks to steal shopping carts full of expensive stuff.
There were two identical robberies in the Valencian towns of Guadassuar and Càrcer in October, and the same rental car was used in each. The inquiry found that the people inside had long criminal records for property crimes and were part of a travelling criminal group that operated in Albacete, Alicante, Castellón, Cuenca, Murcia, Tarragona, Teruel, and Zaragoza.
Stealing with decoys and selling in neighbourhoods
Sources in the Guardia Civil said that the people involved used rented cars and changed them often to make it harder for the police to find them. They also used fake names to keep from being found, especially if they had outstanding warrants or didn’t have a driver’s licence.
Once they were inside the shop, one of the group members would either distract the personnel or make a small payment for a cheap item. Meanwhile, the others would steal shopping carts filled with valuable goods. The Guardia Civil says that the stolen products are worth more than €40,000 in total.
After that, the goods were sent to poor areas of Alberic, Carlet, and Torrent, where the group sold the stolen goods to make quick money.
Arrests, searches, and charges
The operation ended with a court-approved search of a residence in Gavarda, where the group’s leaders lived. There, stolen goods and cash were found, which proved that the suspects were directly involved in the crimes being looked into.
Three more members were captured in Alberic and Carlet that same day to stop them from getting away. Meanwhile, two more guys were being looked at from a prison where they were already being held on other charges before their trial.
The five guys who are being held and the two who are being looked into are all Spanish and between the ages of 33 and 54. They are being charged with the following crimes:
58 thefts in grocery stores
22 violations of sentence (for breaking restraining orders that said they couldn’t go near businesses)
2 break-ins
1 repeated offence of driving without a licence
Fraud involving electricity
Being a member of a criminal group
The judge has ordered four of the people who were detained to be held without bail while the investigation proceeds and the evidence that was obtained is being looked at.
Author: Derek Appleton
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