The gang, which operated with clearly defined roles, rented vehicles with forged documents and traveled long distances to locate victims. Its members, who lacked driving licenses, acted in shopping center parking lots, identifying women who left valuables in their cars while loading purchases into the trunk. One of the criminals would engage the victim in conversation to distract her, while accomplices monitored the area and another accessed the vehicle, often using parked cars to conceal their movements. In other instances, they directly provoked victims to leave their cars so they could enter.
Investigators also documented street operations during the day. To hinder identification, the suspects wore caps, glasses, or hoods, and in some cases, manipulated vehicle sun visors. Once stolen items were obtained, they attempted to quickly withdraw money from ATMs using the victims' cards. In one case, they even answered a call from the owner of a stolen phone and claimed to have found it in a trash can.
The police operation concluded with the arrest of four individuals. One of the detainees was apprehended in early July with a firearm ready for use, while the other three were caught in August as they were preparing to target another woman. The arrested individuals face charges for theft, document forgery, fraud, embezzlement, offenses against road safety, and belonging to a criminal group. The detainee found with the weapon also faces a charge of illegal possession of firearms.
