This Civil Guard operation led to the arrest of two individuals suspected of robbing shops and a residence in Guardamar del Segura. The detainees faced nine counts of extortion through force. A search of one of their homes uncovered clothing, tools, and jewelry with suspicious origins.
Authorities identified the suspects through a combination of frontline investigation and artificial intelligence analysis of video footage from security cameras employed by the affected businesses. The Education Court No. 2 in Torrevieja ordered the two detainees held without bail on nine charges of forced theft, pending trial. [Attribution: Guardia Civil]
In November 2022, a noticeable rise in robberies targeting stores in Guardamar del Segura prompted the start of Rohije22, a task force aimed at locating those responsible for the surge in crime. [Attribution: Guardia Civil]
first stage
During the initial phase, investigators met with the affected merchants and reviewed materials from visual inspections along with all victim-provided documents. This analysis helped establish the criminals’ modus operandi and the methods used to execute the robberies. Surveillance footage from cameras in the vicinity was also retrieved to support the inquiry.
Image processing
The response team employed an image processing system powered by an artificial intelligence neural network. They examined a portion of the footage, which was of limited quality, and extracted crucial information about the attire worn during the robberies. That information led to the identification of two men, aged 35 and 45, both with prior records for property and personal crimes. They resided in a dwelling tied to a local bank in the same municipality. [Attribution: Guardia Civil]
Intervention of jewelry in attacked shops and houses
defined
After the suspects were identified, continuous surveillance was put in place. None of the individuals had a disclosed occupation or legitimate means of income. It was also revealed that one of them was serving a sentence for a prior home theft in Torrevieja and was reported as working under community service. On May 17, an operation culminated in a house search where several pieces of jewelry were seized, along with clothing and tools used in the robberies under investigation. The suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in robberies at shops and a residence in Guardamar del Segura while owners were present inside. [Attribution: Guardia Civil]
The Civil Guard stated that the intervention has helped restore peace of mind to merchants in the area affected by the spike in robberies committed by these individuals.
Employed housing record
finalize
As of now, the Guardamar del Segura Civil Guard continues the investigation into the seized jewelry to determine any possible connections to additional robberies carried out by the detainees. [Attribution: Guardia Civil]
Safe Trade
The Civil Guard notes that the Safe Trading Plan is in effect to ensure the security of businesses and their customers against criminal activity in the region. [Attribution: Guardia Civil]