New wave of burglaries in Vélez-Málaga targets four houses in one night

The Valle-Niza and Almayate Alto rural areas in Vélez-Málaga registered four new property bruglaries on Saturday, 21 March. The district has recently become the target of a wave of robberies, which causes "unbearable stress" to local residents.

The latest incidents happened between 8.20pm and 11pm last Saturday. Residents learnt of the robberies through their security cameras and WhatsApp groups where they exchange information with neighbours. Photos to which SUR has had access show broken fences.

Last week, SUR spoke to one of the residents, Esther Ruiz, who denounced the lack of enough police sources. On Saturday night, she was at the cinema, but she had to leave before the film had finished after learning of the bruglaries.

About 20 vehicles with two or three people per car drove along the rural lanes to deter burglars. "So far we've managed to deter them, but what will happen if we encounter the thieves?" Ruiz asked last week.

She questions the effectiveness of the "largest police force in history", as described by government sources in Malaga, who have said that there have been more than 2,000 officers deployed in the area since 2018.

Ruiz urged the sub-delegation to "at least provide some bicycles so that the police can patrol the 400 kilometres of lanes in the municipality" and drones with night vision and heat detection that could register the presence of people among the avocado trees.

This escalation has reminded residents of the "psychosis" that began in 2020 with fruit thefts that led to violent assaults on homes in Valle-Niza, Almayate, Benajarafe and Chilches.

The situation culminated when hooded men beat up a resident in December 2023 to gain access to his safe.

The residents of rural areas demand increased police presence and coordination, which Mayor of Vélez-Málaga Jesús Lupiáñez has promised to ensure.