Civil Guard and National Police units stopped a group in Alicante and El Campello, arresting seven men suspected of belonging to a crime gang that specialized in home invasions. The operation led to the seizure of nearly a hundred pieces of jewelry and watches, as well as other valuables, and involved Moldovan and Romanian nationals operating across the provinces of Alicante, Albacete, Valencia, and Murcia. The findings point to a coordinated criminal network that carried out multiple break-ins with a violent approach, targeting rural and dispersed properties while planning escape routes in advance to elude security forces. The investigation began earlier this year and revealed that the organization maintained a base of operations in El Campello and conducted pre-attack surveillance to identify vulnerable houses. The robberies occurred in a variety of towns and districts, underscoring a widespread pattern of targeting lesser-populated areas where households appeared to be away for extended periods.
The group is alleged to have orchestrated raids in numerous towns, including Ondara, Pego, Benissa, Canals, Aspe, Sax, Villena, Ibi, Banyeres de Mariola, Caudete, Yecla, Xábia, Moraira, Calp, Almansa, Jumilla, Monóvar, and Petrer. A key element of their strategy involved two rented vehicles, one in shuttle mode, equipped with vehicle trackers, beacons, and frequency jammers to ensure homes were empty and alarms remained silent. In the course of these activities, the gang reportedly used illicit testing kits for precious metals and a gem tester to verify loot before returning it to Moldova, where all members were connected in some manner. [Source: Civil Guard and National Police reports]
During the early exploitation phase, authorities identified four houses where the suspects resided for rent in El Campello and Alicante. On November 7, six men and one woman, aged 23 to 33, were arrested. It appeared that all but one of the detainees originated from Moldova, with one member of Romanian origin. Law enforcement recovered a range of items and electronic devices believed to be linked to the gang’s operations, including state-of-the-art watches, fourteen mobile devices, a frequency inhibitor, sixty-eight pieces of gold jewelry, thousands of euros in various currencies, bank and mobile phone cards, and a set of reagents used to test precious metals. Also seized were two motor vehicles, one of them a high-tech model, and allegedly forged Romanian identity documents.
The operation was carried out through a joint effort by the Civil Guard and the National Police, with the Villena Regional Judicial Police Team taking the lead in coordinating the investigation. Support came from the Ibi Main Police Station’s Investigation Area, the Alcoy Police Station, and the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of Alicante. In the subsequent searches, investigators were aided by the Villena Main Police Station’s Investigation Area, the Calp Judicial Police Regional Team, the Torrevieja Citizen Security Unit, and the National Police’ Prevention and Response Unit in Alicante.
Authorities also emphasized a public safety message, urging citizens to inspect and clearly mark possessions as they are acquired. If items are ever reported stolen, these details help researchers match them quickly with their rightful owners. In one notable case, a Yecla inscription enabled the return of a stolen item, while a Caudete resident reported a gold watch valued at about five thousand euros.
At present, the detained individuals were awaiting further proceedings, and authorities indicated ongoing investigations to determine the full extent of the gang’s activities. The case highlights how collaborative efforts between different regional units can disrupt organized crime networks that operate across multiple municipalities. [Source: Civil Guard and National Police updates]