The National Police have dismantled a criminal gang in southern Madrid specializing in the theft of electric scooters and bicycles. The organization's leader received requests from individuals to carry out the thefts, subsequently orchestrating all necessary actions for the commission of the crimes. In a parallel operation, a man was arrested who used second-hand trading platforms to contact victims and steal items after gaining their trust.
A total of 16 criminal acts have been cleared up, and four men have been arrested as alleged perpetrators of theft, handling stolen goods, continuous offense against property, and belonging to a criminal group. The thefts occurred during daylight hours, with the group acting within minutes in designated parking areas at gyms, shopping centers, transport stations, residential communities, and schools.
The modus operandi involved the ringleader receiving calls from individuals requesting specific bicycles or scooters they had seen in a particular location in Fuenlabrada. He would then contact two other men who would cut the security chains with bolt cutters, later hiding them in bushes and hedges. The stolen items were taken to a premises run by the group's leader, where they were sold to those who had requested the theft or to second-hand shops. On one occasion, a victim recognized their green bicycle, stolen from their gym, displayed in a shop window.
On June 8th, the premises where the stolen goods were stored was searched, and the items were returned to their rightful owners. Three individuals were arrested for eleven counts of theft and handling stolen goods. In a parallel operation, another man was arrested for a continuous offense against property, after stealing up to four electric scooters advertised on second-hand trading platforms by gaining victims' trust and fleeing after asking to test the vehicles.
