Five men were detained by the National Police, members of a criminal group dedicated to stealing high-end watches. They were arrested last Monday after officers thwarted another planned robbery near a restaurant in the La Moraleja area.
They are accused of four armed robberies carried out in the last four months in the Chamartín district, where items valued at 100,000 euros were taken. Investigators recovered two motorcycles used in the escapes and the weapon employed in the crimes.
Motorcyclists
The investigation began at the end of September when two people on a motorcycle managed to steal a watch and a chain valued at more than 30,000 euros. The theft occurred inside an underground parking facility in the Chamartín district.
As the inquiries progressed, investigators confirmed two other incidents in the same area with a similar modus operandi, both occurring during November.
Street Robberies
On February 3, another person reported the theft of his watch by two men who were riding a motorcycle. They even used a weapon to intimidate him. Police located the perpetrators as they were about to search for a new victim in the vicinity of a restaurant in the La Moraleja area.
The agents managed to detain three of these individuals. In the vehicle they were traveling in, a pistol was concealed in a hollow space between the seats.
License Plate Changes
On the day of the detentions, one of the suspects managed to flee on a motorcycle with a stolen license plate. A few hours later, he was located and arrested.
Among the items seized were three luxury watches, two motorcycles, and a vehicle. The five detainees were identified as suspects in crimes of robbery with violence and intimidation using a firearm, injuries, illegal firearm possession, document falsification, theft, and participation in a criminal organization. Two of them have been remanded in custody.