The judge of the Court of First Instance of Teruel, of the section of Instruction, square number 2, Manuel Turmo, has issued a provisional detention order without bail to five of the seven detainees in the framework of the police operation ‘Portofel’, as alleged members of a criminal network dedicated to robbery with force in hospitality establishments and that would be responsible allegedly for a total of 86 robberies perpetrated in the provinces of Teruel, Valencia, Castellón, Zaragoza, Alicante, Soria, La Rioja, Córdoba, Ciudad Real and Cantabria.
The seven prisoners, all Romanian nationals living in the Valencian Community, appeared before a judge at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 4th, and testified until early lunchtime, according to the High Court of Justice of Aragon (TSJA). The two who were not remanded in custody were granted provisional parole as suspected robbers, and they must appear in court on the first and fifteenth of each month.
The arrests occurred in the cities of Xirivella (Valencia), Soneja (Castellón), and Castelserás (Teruel). According to the Guardia Civil, 27 out of 87 robberies took place in the Teruel districts of Jiloca, Gúdar-Javalambre, Bajo Aragón, Cuencas Mineras, and Sierra de Albarracín.
During the operation, two houses were searched and three high-end vehicles were inspected, in addition to the seizure of more than 8,200 euros in cash, numerous mobile phones, SIM cards, tools, vehicle keys, numerous packs of cigarettes, clothing seen in various security camera recordings, and narcotics in excess of the amount for personal consumption.
The economic harm from the robberies is anticipated to be more than 345,000 euros, while the judge emphasises that it must be assessed during the ongoing inquiry.
The judge feels there are “sufficient” grounds to hold the defendants accountable for these offences and has ordered five of them remanded in pretrial detention. Stefan C., a resident of Soneja (Castellón) and the group’s commander, has a criminal record and is under investigation for 47 robberies, including those conducted in Híjar, Teruel province.
Similarly, Gelu B., who allegedly worked with the criminal organisation since March 31, 2025, is charged with another 38 robberies, two of which occurred in Mora de Rubielos (Teruel), while Bogdan M. is accused of 36 robberies, one of which occurred in a Cella bar, Mihai I., 34 robberies (one of which occurred in September in La Puebla de Valverde), and Denis M., 38.
Modus Operandi
The criminal organisation was highly organised and nomadic. Its members targeted hospitality companies in several provinces and used specialised gear to force entrance during midnight or low occupancy hours.
Once inside, they would quickly move on to the most profitable targets: arcade games, cash registers, and tobacco vending machines.
The party travelled in high-end cars, allowing them to traverse long distances in a single night and making them more difficult to identify. They also used mobile phones and other electronic devices to coordinate their movements, avoid predictable patterns, and reduce the likelihood of detection.
Author: Derek Appleton
No Comment! Be the first one.