Bank robberies in Vigo marked a turbulent era through the 1980s and 1990s, when the city faced dangerous thieves willing to fire at the first sign of resistance. The violence faded after a long stretch, with the notable exception of the 2014 attack on Doctor Carracido Street that claimed the life of a young officer. In recent years, such incidents have become rarer but still create concern. In 2023 Vigo saw a new wave of robberies that appeared more spread out but seemed to signal a troubling uptick. Just yesterday, a new bank attack unfolded in the region. This was the fourth incident in Vigo within a month, occurring a few days after a Friday episode in Coruxo led to the temporary detention of two known criminals. A branch robbery took place in the Ramón Nieto neighborhood near the office at closing time, when two suspects entered with masked faces. They fled on foot after taking about 3,000 euros and several mobile phones from staff and customers inside.
National Police investigators quickly launched a formal inquiry to identify the culprits. The assault happened at the Ramón Nieto branch 340, near Barreiro park, just after 14:00. It appears the robbers manipulated existing plumbing connections to gain access to the premises. Statements collected by the judicial police from witnesses identified one suspect wearing tracksuits with a black jacket and the other sporting glasses. After the robbery, investigators and patrols coordinated efforts to recover evidence. Bank security footage was reviewed, and the Scientific Police carried out a technical ocular examination to locate traces that could point to the perpetrators. Recovered metal flanges were among the key items scrutinized.
The latest incident diverges from recent patterns in Vigo and neighboring towns, marking a shift in how these attacks unfold. It occurred on a Tuesday, breaking the usual Friday trend observed in similar offenses. The loot of 3,000 euros remained modest compared with prior heists, which have yielded amounts ranging from 30,000 to 160,000 euros. In this context, the Ramon Nieto attack underscores a broader rise in bank robberies across Vigo and surrounding municipalities.
The 2023 sequence began with an earlier robbery on February 22 at a Soutomaior branch. A man in his sixties with a lengthy criminal record secured barely 7,000 euros before being apprehended from behind by Civil Guard personnel inside the facility. In April, two hooded suspects escaped from a bank in Vigo on Martinez Garrido Street, taking more than 100,000 euros. Two reputed criminals were later arrested but released on bail after contesting the charges. The pattern of high-profile crimes continued into October, with two separate cases in Porriño and Pazos de Borbén, each involving masked assailants and substantial sums.
The most recent wave before yesterday included a November 3 incident on Ricardo Mella Boulevard in Coruxo, where police intercepted the robbers as they fled, with loot valued at about 120,000 euros. The two named suspects, Laureano Fernández Rodríguez and Edelmiro Fernández Rial, have been linked to additional attacks in Coia in 2021 and Candeán in 2022, while a separate 2021 case in Camelias remains unresolved. These connections paint a picture of a network of seasoned offenders with a familiar method and a history of escalating boldness.
Historical criminals given firearms and zip ties after robberies solved
In a February operation, the Civil Guard prevented a bank theft in the southwest. Quick action allowed a 65-year-old resident of Ourense to be arrested while inside the branch. The suspect, wearing a wig, a fake beard, and glasses, threatened the manager with a simulated firearm and immobilized a customer with zip ties. Following court proceedings in Oviedo, Santander, and Ourense, additional charges were brought for threatening behavior in February, highlighting the persistent risk posed by these crimes. A separate April theft at the Martinez Garrido branch in Vigo was resolved by police work, though the trial is still underway. The two gun-point suspects, identified as Javier T. and Miguel Ángel F., were detained about a month after the robbery, which netted more than 100,000 euros, despite their denials. One defendant claimed the authorities were aiming to pin the attacks on them because of a prior history.
Recently, a state court noted that two infamous criminals were apprehended after stealing 120,000 euros from a business on Ricardo Mella Boulevard. They were detained as a precaution as inquiries continued, tying them to a high-profile series of events that began with a striking 2014 incident in Coia, in which thousands of banknotes were tossed into the air. The investigation into these cases continues, with authorities working to connect the dots across multiple sites and years, while ensuring accountability for those involved.
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