Police arrest suspects following series of burglaries in Guadalhorce valley area
Guardia Civil officers have detained a man and a woman, who arrived in Spain on tourist visas, for their involvement in 17 thefts from villas and rural houses
The Guardia Civil have arrested a man and a woman suspected of a spate of villa and rural house robberies in Alhaurín de la Torre in Malaga province's Guadalhorce valley as part of 'Operation Bars'.
The detainees had arrived in Spain in March. Originally from Argentina, they had used tourist visas to cross the border and get to Alhaurín de la Torre, where they carried out burglaries in 17 properties in different parts of La Alquería. Their crimes alerted residents this past summer. A surveillance camera in the area captured the perpetrators right before they illegally entered one of the properties. According to the owner, once inside, they consumed champagne and beer, before leaving with the loot.
For the moment, the Guardia Civil are aware of 17 thefts. Local residents in the La Alquería area set up a WhatsApp group when the robberies started so that they could inform each other of any suspicions and strange movements. That is how they noticed a woman stationed in strategic spots, as if she were keeping watch.
According to the police, the pair would use rented vehicles to move around the town. Once they had chosen their target, they would climb over the wall or cut the fence bars with hydraulic shears. They managed to get their hands on cash, jewellery and other valuable items worth a total of 14,000 euros. The cash they would send back to Argentina.
Thanks to the investigation, the Guardia Civil intercepted the burglars minutes before they were about to enter another villa. The police arrested them and seized the vehicle they had used and the burglary tools. The suspects' intention was to leave as soon as their three-month visa expired. Following the arrest, the court ordered their imprisonment.
