Costa del Sol police arrest 30 people for stealing high-end watches in Malaga and Marbella

A pioneering group of the National Police have helped solve 41 violent thefts of luxury watches with 34 detainees in Marbella and Malaga in the first four months of 2026.

According to the investigation, the criminal network travelled to different municipalities in Spain from their base in Barcelona.

The case involves itinerant criminal networks responsible for numerous robberies in tourist areas with numerous luxury establishments and foreign visitors, such as Malaga, Marbella, Madrid, Alicante, Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.

Between January and April 2026, the National Police arrested 33 people in Spain and one in France. They helped solve 41 robberies with violence, one homicide, three assault crimes and one theft. In addition, they have identified 43 other individuals who are pending arrests.

According to the investigators, the primary target of this criminal network is high-end watches, as solved cases involving watches worth between 15,000 and 100,000 euros demonstrate.

The new National Police group marks an "unprecedented" initiative to coordinate a permanent operation investigating the criminal activity of organised groups that carry out mass robberies with violence of high-end watches in different parts of Spain.

Most of these criminal networks are based in Barcelona, from where they travel in small groups to different parts of the country. They provide their members with all the necessary resources, including false documents, accommodation and vehicles.

Once at the location, they select their victim and observe them until they find the moment to strike. The thefts generally use violence. There have been cases with extremely serious consequences.

Last August, a theft in Ibiza led to a struggle, during which the victim sustained a blow that pushed him to the ground. He died at the scene.

The typical operation involves at least one perpetrator and another person responsible for facilitating the escape by vehicle, which sometimes creates dangerous situations for pedestrians and drivers. In some cases, they have a third support vehicle to quickly transport the stolen watch and hinder its recovery.

The perpetrators use hats, masks or sunglasses, as well as false documents and duplicated vehicle registration numbers to prevent identification. After committing the crimes, they quickly return to their base in Barcelona, where they sell the stolen goods.

The itinerant nature of these network complicates investigations, which has led to the creation of the new specialised National Police group. This joint action has intensified cooperation between different police units as well as with the authorities of other countries.