Armed robbery gang dismantled in Marbella and Alicante

Spain's National Police have broken up an itinerant criminal group that carried out violent home robberies in Marbella and Alicante. The five arrested members were travelling in a van when police stopped them; they were found with five short firearms, tactical silencers, large amounts of ammunition and police‑style equipment such as vests, caps and rotating lights, which they used to pose as law‑enforcement officers after the burglaries.

Investigators seized six high‑end vehicles, €31,500 in cash, GPS beacons, frequency jammers, handcuffs and forged licence plates, and recovered goods worth about €400,000. The suspects face charges including illegal possession of weapons, document falsification, assault, violations of privacy, misuse of public authority and membership in a criminal organization. Two European Arrest Warrants have been issued for members believed to be outside Spain.

The operation involved four entry and search actions in properties in Marbella and Fuengirola and follows investigations that began after two particularly violent robberies in Alicante in December of the previous year.