Madrid gang robbery wave

In early July 2026, the Madrid Jewelers Guild reported a sharp increase in armed robberies of jewelry stores across the capital and nearby towns, attributing the surge to higher gold prices. Police had already dismantled part of a gang responsible for five of those thefts, arresting eleven suspects, but the guild warned that the threat remained unpredictable.

By late July, a joint operation by the Spanish National Police and Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra targeted a related criminal organization that specialized in violent robberies, illegal detention and kidnapping of audiovisual content creators. The gang lured victims with fake production offers, using firearms and knives to seize equipment and money. Four members were arrested, two of them leaders, and large caches of weapons, drugs and cash were seized. The cases illustrate a broader pattern of organized, violent robberies in the Madrid region and an escalating law‑enforcement response.