The National Police and the Civil Guard coordinated a broad operation that led to the detention of twelve individuals linked to an organized group trying to burglarize homes in rural areas. The Orihuela Guard Court of Inquiry ordered the imprisonment of eight suspects, including the ringleaders of the gang. Searches were carried out across multiple locations in Albatera, Cox, Dolores, Benejúzar and Crevillent. In Crevillent, a basement workshop was found that held materials used to outfit stolen pickups and master keys.
The criminals targeted houses in Alicante and surrounding regions under the cover of night. They forced entry through doors or windows, stealing jewelry and other valuable items. They also used stolen vehicles, sometimes bearing counterfeit plates, to reach the crime scenes. Highways often served as routes to safe areas where seized goods could be sorted and prepared for resale.
The investigation began last August after a notable rise in robberies at rural residences. This triggered the operation named Welter-Hail, led by the Judicial Police Group of the Orihuela National Police Station and the Villena Civil Guard Main Station, who joined forces to address the surge in incidents.
According to authorities, on December 17 and the following two days, once all members were identified and their roles confirmed, the operational phase commenced. Seven houses and an industrial facility were searched in Murcia, Albatera, Cox, Dolores, and in storage facilities in Benejúzar and Crevillent. The aim was to dismantle the network and contain the flow of stolen goods.
Poppy and cocaine
In the Murcian locality of Sangonera la Seca, two inspections targeted sites connected with the trafficking network. One lead pointed to a person responsible for shipping vehicles and other stolen items to Morocco. A stolen minibus and equipment used to fashion master keys were found in an illegal workshop in Crevillent.
During searches, tools used in break-ins, devices designed to disable vehicle alarms, fake keys, and a variety of stolen items were seized. A total of 13 vehicles reported as stolen were recovered during the operation.
Authorities also recovered 10,490 grams of marijuana, 90 grams of cocaine, and equipment associated with the production and distribution of narcotics, along with other objects stored in a chalet used for concealment and inventory control.
In total, all active members of the criminal organization were detained: twelve individuals, including ten Moroccan nationals and two Spaniards, aged between 20 and 77, comprised nine men and three women.
The detainees, charged with membership in a criminal organization, property crimes and economic offenses, as well as drug trafficking, were handed over to the Orihuela Guard Court for processing. Eight suspects, including the principal organizers, were remanded in custody while the others were granted interim measures.
The operation benefited from the collaboration of the Yecla Police Station’s Judicial Police Group in Murcia and the Special Systems Group of the Valencia headquarters, along with the Alicante USEC units and the Torrevieja, Callosa de Segura, and main Torrevieja mission posts. This joint effort highlights the effectiveness of cross-provincial police cooperation in dismantling organized crime networks.
Collectively, this initiative uncovered 105 crimes across the provinces of Alicante, Albacete, Murcia, Almería, Ciudad Real and Valencia. The dismantled group caused economic losses exceeding €400,000 through damages and stolen property, underscoring the impact of rural burglaries on local communities and the broader regional economy.