Two men were detained by national police in Madrid after allegedly carrying out a third robbery at the same bank branch in less than a month. The suspects, described as Spanish nationals, used a threatening show of force with a simulated firearm and a knife to intimidate staff and customers during the incidents.
Authorities identified the detainees as individuals with prior experience in similar offenses. Records indicate multiple prior encounters with law enforcement, and investigators noted that the suspects communicated with staff using banking slang to demand compliance, phrases such as, in effect, “exemptions” during the exchanges.
According to the Madrid Police Department, one of the detainees was a minor at the time of the most recent arrest, having recently been released from a prior prison sentence related to an offense at the same bank branch years earlier.
The first two robberies took place in late August and September at the branch located on Marcelo Usera street in Madrid’s Usera district. In the August incident, the offenders positioned themselves at the entrance to prevent clients and employees from leaving the premises while a companion acted as a lookout. An armed threat with a knife caused fear among staff and resulted in a roughly five thousand euro theft.
The two suspects returned in September, again concealing their identities with hats, disguises, and eyewear. They proceeded to threaten employees with knives and secured an additional three thousand five hundred euros before making good their escape.
Police investigators rapidly connected the two to the string of incidents, noting that one of the men had recently completed a lengthy sentence for a prior assault on the same bank branch. They reported that the operative method and certain expressions used in the robberies bore similarities to those employed years earlier.
After placing a surveillance device on the suspected individuals, officers monitored their movements and observed a planned action at the same location. During the latest attempt, the pair departed with a small haul, including a handful of mobile phones and lottery tickets, before authorities intercepted them. A firearm replica and two knives were recovered during the arrest operation.
The two men were taken into custody on charges of three robberies committed with violence and intimidation. They were placed in the hands of the judicial authorities, which ordered measures including temporary detention pending further proceedings.