The Civil Guard has apprehended a 46-year-old man from the municipality of Arona as the suspected offender of three violent robberies executed through intimidation in southern Tenerife between May and November 2024. He allegedly employed firearms and chemical substances to incapacitate his victims.
The Civil Guard’s operation, named Tamaide-TF, commenced upon the identification of a recurring criminal pattern, where a solitary man was evident in the incidents. He reportedly wielded a short firearm and, in some instances, used chemicals to physically dominate his victims, as detailed by the security agency on Thursday.
The apprehended individual first executed a robbery at a pharmacy in Arico in May. He invaded the premises with his face obscured and a firearm in hand, demanding controlled substances such as Travelimazin and Lorazepam.
In September 2024, during a robbery at a residence in San Miguel de Abona, he entered masked after disabling security systems. He violently compelled the residents to ingest sedative medications before gagging and binding them, making off with cash and hunting firearms.
Another incident attributed to this individual occurred in November 2024 in a guide house in Isora, where he carried out a violent robbery. He disabled the residence’s security measures and incapacitated the dogs using a spray. The victims discovered him, after which he threatened them with a weapon and engaged in a struggle that resulted in injuries.
He subsequently fled the scene with a .22 calibre shotgun. The arrest took place on January 24 at his residence in Arona.
During searches of his vehicle and home, authorities found firearms, bladed weapons, tools, clothing disguises, and various items linking the suspect to the crimes under investigation.
The investigation, which was aided by the Local Police of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, provided insights into the suspect’s methodology, incorporating the use of false registrations and meticulous planning prior to the assaults. Furthermore, officials uncovered connections between the pharmaceuticals stolen from the pharmacy and those used to incapacitate victims in residential burglaries.
The detained individual has been presented before the Courts of Arona, which have mandated his provisional imprisonment. The inquiry has been facilitated by the Territorial Judicial Police team in Playa de las Américas, part of the Organic Judicial Police Unit of the Civil Guard of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
