A Polish-origin criminal group operating across Spain targeted homes and vehicles in the Costa del Sol and beyond, carrying out burglaries to steal jewelry and cash. The crew, described by authorities as travelers who moved freely between countries, reportedly relocated after each raid, returning home by air with the loot. Local informants and associates provided information about the houses to be raided. Four individuals were taken into custody and faced judicial proceedings.
The operation began in May 2023, following evidence gathered during the break-in of a residence in Benahavís. Police identified four men of Polish descent as the alleged perpetrators. After a brief stay on the Costa del Sol, the suspects returned to Poland by plane, a flight for which they had not secured seating in advance. Further inquiries established that these individuals were linked to another robbery in Casares, where jewelry and cash valued at around €600,000 were stolen.
Both robberies seemed to follow a common pattern. The group appeared to know the inhabitants, the location and security arrangements, including the presence of valuables and protected data systems. In short, they reportedly had advance information before moving from Poland. As the investigation progressed, officers uncovered evidence of five additional robberies attributed to the same organization, though the methods varied somewhat from the initial sequence.
Travel to Alicante
By September, the Civil Guard had arrested two more people suspected of involvement in five robberies, including two break-ins at homes, two vehicle thefts, and a residential intrusion at an under-construction property. Items recovered totaled more than €47,000. This wave of arrests forced the group to shift its operations to different regions. Investigators learned that four members of the Polish group planned crimes in Alicante and flew there for a subsequent operation on September 21. At Alicante airport, officers stopped them at the boarding gate as they were preparing to leave, uncovering 52 pieces of jewelry and €4,480 in cash in their hand luggage. Some of the jewelry originated from separate robberies in Pilar de la Horadada and Torrevieja, towns near Alicante, with a combined value exceeding €30,000.
One member of the group had a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Netherlands for nine counts of residential burglary, underscoring the mobile and transnational nature of the investigation. The case highlights how a criminal network leveraged travel routes and cross-border movement to execute and disguise multiple break-ins across Spain.
The ongoing inquiry demonstrates the Civil Guard’s commitment to dismantling cross-border burglary rings and pursuing suspects wherever they may flee. The combined seizures of jewelry and cash, along with the incapacitation of several operatives, aim to disrupt the pattern of thefts that spanned several municipalities and regions. The investigation continues to unravel the full scope of the network and its methods, with authorities coordinating with international partners to pursue the remaining members and recover additional assets. (Attribution: Civil Guard press releases and regional judicial statements.)