Five men aged between 23 and 33 from various towns in southern Tenerife have been arrested by the National Police and the Civil Guard. They are suspected of committing crimes including robbery with force, violent robbery, money laundering, participating in a criminal group, drug trafficking, and illegal possession of weapons. The authorities have linked this group to at least 25 robberies.
The investigation commenced in November following a burglary in a house in Icod de los Vinos. Through initial inquiries, it was discovered that a vehicle was involved, which was later identified in subsequent robberies. By sharing information between the National Police and the Civil Guard, it became evident that both agencies were investigating the same individuals, leading to a joint operation.
The investigation revealed that the criminals’ method involved breaking the locks of homes quickly and accessing them within minutes to steal jewellery and cash. With collaborative efforts, law enforcement identified some of the vehicles used by the group.
On April 10, five simultaneous raids were conducted with judicial authorisation at the suspects’ homes in Candelaria, Arona, and San Miguel de Abona. The searches led to the seizure of stolen items, a variety of jewellery and watches, two firearms, an airsoft gun, 380 grams of cocaine, 40 grams of hashish, and numerous electronic devices. Additionally, two vehicles owned by the suspects were confiscated, suspected to have been purchased with proceeds from the burglaries.
The operation involved units from the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the National Police of Puerto de la Cruz-Los Realejos. The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 1 of Icod de los Vinos.
