National Police officers conducted a coordinated operation with Georgian authorities, dismantling a transnational criminal group led by Georgian nationals. The organization, known as Thieves in Law, was implicated in a pattern of forced home robberies. The action resulted in the arrest of 25 members and the seizure of valuable assets linked to dozens of robberies across the national territory, with the main activity centered in the Madrid region.
During the arrests, authorities recovered a substantial cache of luxury items, including jewelry, high-end watches, electronic devices, sunglasses, musical instruments, luxury apparel, and shoes, alongside forged documents and tools used to bypass locks and access points. The seizure underscored the meticulous planning and resourcefulness of the group, which relied on a broad network to facilitate their crimes.
Investigations, initiated in 2022, revealed the presence of a mobile criminal cell operating within the Community of Madrid. Members were linked to burglaries in Alcobendas and other districts of Madrid, leveraging a tightly organized structure with clear codes of conduct designed to protect the group’s leadership.
Operational divisions within the organization typically ranged from two to five members, each supported by a custodian. Front men would bring in temporary residents from various countries who provided forged documents and access to safe houses, enabling swift movement and concealment from authorities.
The organization maintained multiple networks across Alcobendas and Madrid, with various addresses and phone numbers used to host members from Spain and other European countries. This infrastructure facilitated a web of contact points that supported ongoing criminal activity while evading detection.
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Planning techniques included an initial reconnaissance phase across multiple properties, using discreet indicators or invisible markers to map potential targets. Once occupancy was confirmed as vacant, the group would exploit the opportunity, favoring nighttime hours, weekends, and holiday periods such as the summer break, Easter, and Christmas to minimize the risk of interruption.
Several members were dispatched to execute the robberies, with a dedicated lookout stationed outside while others breached entry points, using various methods to defeat locks, including master keys and other bypass techniques. The operation demonstrated the careful choreography behind each break-in, from entry to distribution of stolen goods.
Following the intelligence gathered by investigators, seven residences were searched, resulting in 25 arrests linked to at least 14 burglaries. Authorities recovered 32 luxury watches, 259 jewelry pieces including rings, bracelets, earrings, and precious stones, 79 electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and memory drives, as well as luxury apparel and musical instruments. The breadth of the haul highlighted the international scope of the network and its appetite for high-value targets.
The inquiry remains active, with officials indicating that additional arrests of organization members could occur as the investigation continues. The case illustrates the ongoing challenge of transnational crime and the importance of cross-border cooperation in dismantling sophisticated criminal enterprises that operate across multiple jurisdictions.