Coordination Between Civil Guard and Mossos d’Esquadra Cracks Down on Armed Vehicle Looters Targeting High-End Electronics
The Civil Guard and Mossos d’Esquadra recently disrupted a gang known locally as the wanderers, a group linked to a series of robberies conducted by driving in a method that resurfaced across Spain. Their joint operation, conducted in Vélez-Málaga, led to three individuals being detained on suspicion of involvement in thirty separate robberies.
Members of the dismantled clan specialized in stealing luxury vehicles to enable armed robberies. Their pattern included roaming through commercial districts, targeting malls and supermarkets, with a pronounced focus on cell phone stores as prime targets.
The entity consisted of at least three prominent aluniceros, active on a nationwide scale and with origins traced to Madrid’s Villaverde district. The group carried out crimes in multiple cities, including Madrid, Tarragona, Lleida, Granada, Toledo, Almería, and Málaga. Of those detained, two were Spanish nationals and one was Moroccan, all facing charges related to property crimes.
The group’s leader, known by the alias El Bubu, served as the habitual driver of the stolen vehicles. He is described as hardened by prior escapes from security forces, having left a trail of high-risk incidents.
Investigators began connecting the dots after recognizing a surge of criminal acts that followed a consistent script: attacks on shopping malls, particularly cell phone outlets, using the same type of vehicle repeatedly.
The Civil Guard focused its inquiry on the unusual pattern of high-end vehicle thefts, a clue that helped narrow the investigative lens onto this specific clan.
On 25 May, authorities confirmed that the group had committed two robberies in rapid succession. One event took place inside a shopping mall in the Tarragona province, where eightiety high-end devices were taken, with a value approximating eighty days of European earnings and around 15,000 euros in loss. The thieves reportedly opened store entrances using a tool described as a “goat leg,” then forced the shop to close, seized the merchandise in seconds, and fled in a stolen vehicle.
A joint operation involving the Civil Guard and Mossos d’Esquadra followed these learns, culminating in the arrest of three suspects in Vélez-Málaga, a location the group had visited earlier to carry out similar activities. This cooperation highlighted the cross-regional nature of the gang’s operations and the value of synchronized law enforcement work.
In the concluding phase of the investigation, the group was linked to further robberies in the provinces of Granada and Toledo. Members reportedly traveled hundreds of miles, conducting reconnaissance on potential targets before carrying out dawn raids with minimal downtime. The group is said to have hijacked a substantial number of mobile devices during these offenses, underscoring the organization behind the scheme and the preparedness of the members.