Agents of the National Police, in a joint operation with the Mossos d’Esquadra, have arrested in Madrid three alleged members of a criminal group that allegedly stole two watches valued at 192,000 euros in Barcelona last May.
As reported by the Police in a statement, the gang specialized in violent robberies of high-end watches had already acted during the summer of last year in Madrid. The detainees moved on large displacement motorcycles and traveled between the two cities to commit the criminal acts.
On May 9, the first complaint was received after the perpetrators assaulted a tourist. One of them grabbed the victim’s neck from behind, said something he didn’t understand, and yanked the watch he was wearing. After the struggle, the attacker ran to a place where another man with a motorcycle was waiting for him. The watch was valued at 52,000 euros.
The investigators were in contact with the victim after the events, who provided more information about the perpetrators and was able to recognize one of them.
On May 18, another robbery with the same modus operandi was known. In this case, the victim had previously felt observed by a person sitting on a terrace of the bar where she was, but she did not care.
Later she went to an establishment, and when she left, one of the detainees put his arm around her neck, attacked her with the ‘mataleón’ method and pushed her to the ground. When the victim was on the ground, the thief ripped off his watch and took it away. The escape was carried out with a man who was waiting for him with a motorcycle to flee quickly. The stolen watch is valued at 140,000 euros.
The joint investigation team verified throughout these months that those now detained had great mobility and moved on large displacement motorcycles between the two cities. The Mossos d’Esquadra identified them in Barcelona and coordinated with the National Police, who arrested them in Madrid on July 5.
They were staying at a hotel, where a voluntary entry was made, money was located, and jewelry and phones were recovered. On July 6, they were brought before the courts in Madrid and the judge ordered the three detainees to be imprisoned.
