A total of eleven individuals, nine men and two women aged between 20 and 60, have been arrested. They face charges including robbery with violence and intimidation, document forgery, misappropriation, and immigration law violations. Five of the detainees are already in provisional prison.
The value of the stolen loot, primarily gold jewelry, amounts to three million euros. A significant portion of the merchandise has been difficult to recover due to the speed with which the perpetrators moved it. During the crimes, the offenders used firearms, such as pistols, and various disguises, including religious habits, sunglasses, wigs, and hats, to hinder identification.
Their modus operandi involved considerable use of violence and intimidation. Store clerks were threatened at gunpoint, with weapons aimed at their heads and torsos, and hair pulling was used to prevent any resistance or alerts. Consequently, victims have reported physical and psychological injuries.
The escape was carried out using vehicles rented with false identities. Accomplices, vulnerable individuals recruited outside large shopping centers, acted as lookouts to warn of police presence in exchange for small sums of money, between 50 and 100 euros.
Police sources indicate that roles within the group were clearly defined. One faction focused on selecting jewelry stores, conducting prior visits to assess each location's characteristics, favoring small businesses with easy access from the street and limited visibility from public view. Another division handled logistics, including vehicle rentals, fake documentation, and tools like mallets to break display cases.
Investigators suggest the members became increasingly professionalized over time. Before each robbery, they held meetings at a squat in Puente de Vallecas, and communications were maintained via wireless headsets.
The investigation began on March 27th following an attempted bank robbery in San Blas-Canillejas, which was thwarted by the arrival of customers. The Robbery Group XIII of the Madrid Provincial Police Judicial Brigade took over the case, concluding they were dealing with a dangerous, organized group.
Two weeks later, on April 13th, they committed a robbery at a jewelry store in the Tetuán neighborhood, stealing half a million euros. On April 30th, another heist at a jewelry store in Usera resulted in the theft of 600,000 euros in jewels.
On May 15th, the fourth robbery occurred in Torrejón de Ardoz. A couple threatened the employee with a pistol, taking nearly one and a half million euros worth of jewelry. On May 18th, they assaulted another jewelry store in a shopping center in Puente de Vallecas, with a loot of 600,000 euros.
The latest known robbery took place on June 10th in Ciudad Lineal. The perpetrators, disguised as clerics, threatened the employee with a firearm. However, National Police officers intercepted them outside the store as they attempted to flee by car on the M-30. Seven individuals were arrested at that moment, with an eighth apprehended later.
The operation, codenamed 'Operation Nun,' involved collaboration with the Barcelona Provincial Police Judicial Brigade, which arrested three more individuals on June 12th. Some involved, including those with prior criminal records, are linked to petty thefts using the 'seeding' method in commercial areas across Spain.
Police are continuing to investigate other recent assaults on jewelry stores in shopping centers like La Vaguada and Espacio Torrelodones, although these have not yet been directly linked to this group.
