The Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal group that stole €223,272 worth of goods from shops at Tenerife South Airport, as part of the operation Simba Free, which has resulted in the arrest of 66 individuals, including 18 adults and three minors.
Recovery efforts succeeded in retrieving items valued at over €70,900. An investigation began last May after detecting a group of people, who appeared to be coordinated, engaging in theft, primarily at the airport shops, particularly in restricted areas, the armed institute reported in a statement.
Through this investigation, agents discovered that these thefts were not confined to Tenerife South Airport but also occurred at other airports in the Canary Islands, as well as in Bilbao, Madrid, Málaga, and Alicante.
Throughout the investigation, it became evident that they were stealing large quantities of perfumes and cosmetics, focusing on items with the highest economic value, which were later distributed for sale across the country and even to third countries.
The organisation possessed extensive knowledge of the operational procedures, functioning dynamics, and security measures of the airports, taking advantage of the high flow of passengers to carry out their actions.
To access the secure area, they purchased a low-cost ticket to operate in the interior shops, which had a vast catalogue of high-value products. Once they stole the merchandise, they exited the airport without taking the booked flight.
The ringleader of the network was a young Canary Islander, who managed and distributed the work groups, coordinating them to remove products from the shelves and conceal them in large bags to avoid detection when leaving the stores.
Additionally, during one of the surveillance operations, it was verified that she travelled to the airport in a vehicle, usually rented, despite the fact that this person did not hold a driving licence and had never obtained one.
It’s noteworthy that this group also exploited vulnerable individuals and even minors to commit thefts, compensating them for their participation.
One member of the network was arrested while carrying numerous perfumes in his luggage. Upon identification, it was discovered that he had purchased the ticket using the ID of a third party, who happens to be incarcerated.
During one of the trips to sell the stolen goods, a group member was detected by agents with €30,000 worth of perfumes. He presented an invoice from a perfume shop, from which he allegedly purchased the items. After further investigation, it was confirmed that this was a false invoice.
The detainees, along with the proceedings filed, have been transferred to the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 5 of Granadilla de Abona.
