Two Romanian nationals were arrested on July 3 in Benidorm by officers from the National Police and Mossos d’Esquadra on charges linked to a string of hotel safe robberies in Barcelona between June 2022 and May 2023, with additional incidents in the city. Investigators reported that the loot from these burglaries exceeded 50,000 euros in cash along with various pieces of jewellery.
The detainees, now in custody, are believed to be part of a criminal organization with operations extending beyond Spain into other European Union countries. The investigation was conducted with the collaboration of Europol and authorities from several EU states, some of which are linked to the group through cross-border activities. The operation illustrates a coordinated effort to dismantle a network suspected of coordinating thefts across multiple jurisdictions.
In the hours following the arrests in Benidorm, authorities conducted a search at The Bay in La Vila Joiosa. The operation yielded a range of items including a toolkit used to force entry into rooms and unlock safes, a sum of cash close to one thousand euros, jewellery believed to be stolen, hotel access cards, and a vehicle containing clothing linked to the events. The material gathered is being examined as part of the ongoing inquiry.
According to investigators, the thieves entered hotel rooms by posing as legitimate guests and used a method to breach safes that involved creating a breach near the device housing the locking mechanism, allowing access to cash and valuables left behind by guests. In some cases, the suspects allegedly stayed overnight to observe guests and identify those likely to have valuables stored in their safes. This approach enabled them to select targets with a higher probability of success while reducing the risk of discovery.
They acted like customers
The individuals involved presented themselves as ordinary guests, blending into hotel environments while scouting for potential victims who had left valuables in their safes. The strategy relied on exploiting routines around guest check-out and room turnover, aiming to minimize suspicion and maximize opportunities to recover cash and jewellery from safes.
In several instances, the suspects even extended their stay to monitor different guests and identify those who might securely store cash in safes, effectively turning hotel stays into opportunities for theft. The scale of the operations suggests careful planning and deliberate reconnaissance across multiple hotels and locations within the region.
Throughout the course of the investigation, an operational briefing brought together law enforcement partners from several European countries through Europol. The exchange of intelligence facilitated a broader picture of the group’s mobility across European soil and helped locate the individuals under investigation. Some associates linked to the group reportedly required medical care and were detained in Austria and Portugal as the inquiry progressed. The collaborative effort underscores the importance of cross-border cooperation in tackling organized property crime that transcends national borders.
National Police prosecutors and regional police units were actively involved in the operation. Specifically, personnel from the Alicante Judicial Police, the Provincial Brigade of Special Crime Groups, and the General Commissioner of the Judicial Police in Madrid contributed to the effort, along with the Mobile Crime Group. On the Catalan side, officers from Mossos d’Esquadra, including the Investigation Units in Barcelona’s Eixample district and the Barcelona Crime Investigation District’s Multiple Re-offender Unit, participated in the investigation and subsequent steps to secure the suspects and preserve evidence. The case demonstrates how joint operations between national and regional forces can disrupt a transnational criminal network and bring offenders to justice.