In the heart of February, Pinto in Madrid woke to a powerful blast. The attackers aimed to break into an ATM to take cash. They failed to withdraw money, but the damage was severe. A similar strike had been reported in Malaga months earlier, with two bank robberies by force using explosives. In total, more than 82,000 euros were stolen. A comparable incident followed in Valencia, with 40,000 euros taken. National Police, working with the Civil Guard and Mossos d’Esquadra, dismantled two criminal networks across the country and arrested 14 suspects in Madrid and Malaga, despite operations spanning several regions.
Beyond the explosive attacks, the detainees carried out violent robberies by posing as members of security forces. They did not hesitate to illegally detain victims and use specialized tools to overpower them, often employing excessive force. The devices used, known among the group as bottles, were homemade, crafted by compressing black powder from fireworks and other pyrotechnics into metal capsules.
Police and civilian security attire
Two criminal groups were coordinated and active across the country. Fourteen detainees carried lengthy criminal records and were linked to fifteen separate robberies, yielding more than 600,000 euros in stolen funds.
As part of the operation, twenty-three simultaneous raids were carried out. Officers recovered a cache of firearms and ammunition, GPS beacons, locksmith gear for entry, alarm clippers, supplies and uniforms, cash, counterfeit plates, and other items. A cannabis plantation was found, with 112 plants seized.
Homemade explosives
The investigation began in August 2022 after the Malaga incident and expanded to reveal a wider plan intended to repeat similar attacks in Valencia. Subsequent inquiries showed another Madrid-based group had used explosives to rob ATMs. The same device type, the bottles, appeared in multiple attacks.
Police sources noted that the modus operandi shared a common supplier of homemade explosives, linking seven ATM attacks in Barcelona, Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, and Alcobendas in 2022, with loot totaling about 550,000 euros.
Investigations indicated the groups operated from Madrid and Malaga, and that the person responsible for manufacturing the devices created the bottles by compressing black powder from fireworks into metal capsules.
Stolen cars
The thieves targeted high-value thefts with precision, stealing more than 600,000 euros in total. They used advanced methods and security precautions before, during, and after robberies, employing special tools to access ATMs.
Intermediaries helped move valuable vehicles, often burning or concealing other stolen cars to mislead investigators. Phone tampering and disguises aided in evading tracking, including discarding clothing and disabling devices when necessary.
The operation also identified two violent acts in Malaga where the criminals posed as police officers
Police investigations show that the detainees extended their crime beyond ATM robberies, engaging in two violent crimes in Malaga. In the first incident, at a victim’s home in Vélez-Málaga, the suspects used stolen vehicles, armed with pistols and wearing police vests, to abduct the victim, detain him, and force him to reveal where money was kept. They also took papers, keys, and cash, and then released him; two stolen vehicles were burned on the same day.
The second victim faced a blocking maneuver in the presence of two vehicles
In another assault, the victim was boxed in by two vehicles, their windows smashed and the car forcibly taken. The assailants fought while the victim held 30,000 euros in cash and 3,430 euros in promissory notes. As before, two stolen cars with altered plates were used, and the criminals fled, often burning vehicles or spraying extinguishing agents to erase evidence.
Three-stage robbery
Authorities describe the operation as a three-stage process. The first stage involved selecting targets with access to money or illicit wealth, including those connected to illegal activities such as drug trafficking. The second stage focused on monitoring victims, tracking routines and movements with the help of security cameras or GPS beacons. The third stage saw the robbery itself, ranging from forceful theft to violent acts carried out under the guise of police authority, using specialized tools and pretending to be security personnel to detain victims.
A fugitive
The police operation concluded in late April with the arrest of fourteen suspects; one fugitive remained at large. The detainees face charges that include membership in a criminal organization, extortion by force, robbery with violence, vehicle theft, illegal detention, injury, usurpation of public office, possession of illegal weapons, and falsification of documents. Most involved carried extensive criminal records, primarily for property crimes, and demonstrated knowledge of police methods. They operated across borders, switching between autonomous communities, and were adept at using police equipment and vehicles to carry out robberies.
More than 600,000 euros
Authorities detailed fifteen separate crimes committed between June 2022 and April 2023. June 2022 saw two forceful robberies at banks in Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Montcada i Reixac in the Barcelona area, yielding 67,450 euros and 127,210 euros respectively. A month later, another explosive attack targeted a Madrid bank, resulting in a haul between 50,000 and 90,000 euros. In August 2022, two more robberies used explosives at Malaga banks, bringing in 43,970 and 38,180 euros. October saw two more bank robberies in Barcelona with 47,380 and 92,860 euros stolen, followed by a Valencia heist of 40,000 euros. December featured robberies at Alcalá de Henares and Alcobendas in Madrid, totaling 46,350 and 78,330 euros. February of this year included three robberies in Madrid, one at a car showroom and another at an optics shop in Majadahonda, amounting to over 10,000 euros in merchandise. The latest incidents involved violent robberies in Malaga during March and April 2023.
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{“rewritten_html”:”An Algerian citizen, tried alongside a Moroccan-origin defendant yesterday, faced questions about a confrontation on Levante beach in Benidorm. Allegations centered on robbery and a stabbing that occurred after the victim’s cell phone rang. The two defendants denied both charges, while the victim affirmed the accusations, and the Prosecution urged the Court to convict them, seeking a substantial prison sentence for violent robbery and attempted murder, totaling nine years and nine months. [Source: Local court records]nnIn addition, the prosecutor asked for compensation to the victim amounting to 19,480 euros for damages and consequences. The defense teams argued for acquittal on the charge of injury or, at minimum, a conviction that did not include that element. [Source: Local court records]nnThe two men were in pre-trial detention after their dawn arrest on May 21, 2022. They maintained their innocence and, in turn, claimed that the victim had assaulted them earlier. The Algerian defendant, asserting that he did not steal the phone, described the scene as the victim lounging in a hammock on Levante beach and approaching him with an iron bar. He claimed that, after being struck, he attempted to flee and that his companion tried to intervene. According to his account, the victim then escalated the situation and a group of the victim’s associates, employed in portering or hospitality, arrived on a scooter and joined the assault. He further stated that intoxication affected both men and that he himself went to the police to seek help, a claim the officers dismissed as inaccurate at the hearing. [Source: Local court records]nndrug problemsnThe other defendant likewise denied the robbery, arguing instead that the victim and his associate were entangled in a drug-related dispute. He said the two men began arguing and that he stepped in to separate them, noting that his friend started to run but did not attempt to take the phone. When the victim called companions who arrived at the scene with a baseball bat, the accused said they were met with blows in return. He claimed he avoided a head injury with a stick and did not know how the victim had been wounded with a knife. [Source: Local court records]nnThe victim’s testimony at trial differed markedly from the defendants’ accounts. He described lying in a hammock on Levante beach at dawn, speaking with his mother back in Algeria, and being assaulted after the phone was forcibly removed from his chest while he was on a call. He said he reacted by leaving in a vehicle, which led to a confrontation with the alleged robber. He asserted that the other defendant also stabbed him, and he sustained multiple stab wounds to the abdomen, arm, forehead, and neck. After the stabbing, the attackers fled, and the victim pursued them despite the injuries. [Source: Local court records]nnThe National Police received a call reporting a fight between men in the Rincón de Loix area, and the initial patrol encountered a bloody man in the roadway who requested assistance and pointed out the perpetrators as they attempted to leave. Officers confirmed during the hearing that the two suspects had fled and had largely ignored the stop warnings. Authorities also noted that the blade used in the attack had not been recovered at the scene. A medical examiner later observed that the wounds did not appear to be life-threatening and did not compromise vital organs. [Source: Local court records]nnThe proceedings thus centered on diverging narratives: the defendants’ assertion of self-defense and drug-related tensions versus the victim’s account of an unprovoked assault and a stolen phone. The court weighed the credibility of testimonies, the timing of events on the Levante beach, and the physical evidence, or lack thereof, to determine accountability for the alleged violent robbery and stabbing. [Source: Local court records]”} Police Crack Down on ATM Robbery Network Using ‘Pizza’ Explosive Method Futuribles Malaga: innovation, tourism, and cybersecurity in the digital era Graphic Crime Case in Alicante: Kidnapping, Torture, and Murder Involving Algerian Nationals flights and hotels and related payments in a high-command context Marbella Robbery Network: Details on a High-Profile Coastal Crime Ring The Evolution of Cash and Electronic Payments in the Euro Area (2022 Update) Lugo vs Malaga Second Division 2022-2023: match summary, goals and key moments Financial Trails and Travel Ties in Civil Guard Awards Copper Theft Ring Dismantled Across Southern Spain Operation Constanza-Mestalla: 13 Detained in Valencia Region Robbery Ring Crackdown {}