Dismantled a gang that stole using the "seed" method

The Civil Guard has dismantled in Villarrobledo (Albacete) a criminal group specialized in stealing using the "seed" method that took advantage of the distraction or vulnerability of the victims, sometimes even offering them some kind of help to divert their attention.

The group, made up of three people between 23 and 37 years old, all of Peruvian nationality and with numerous police records, resided in Madrid but moved to other autonomous communities. In fact, they are attributed with thefts by this method in the provinces of Albacete, Alicante, Cuenca, Ciudad Real, Seville, Toledo, and Valencia.

Their modus operandi consisted of going to crowded shopping centers. There they chose their victims when they used ATMs or went to the parking lot with shopping bags. It was then that they started their particular "seed": they dropped bills or any valuable object near the victim, generally elderly people, and while they bent down, the gang members stole their belongings. When the victim was at an ATM, they managed to steal the card, from which they had previously memorized the pin code, then going to another ATM to withdraw the maximum amount of money.

Their arrest has been possible after a neighbor of Villarrobledo reported having suffered the theft of a bag in a parking lot of a shopping center in this town. According to the Civil Guard, the investigation is still open as this gang is attributed with more criminal acts than reported.

Following these events, the Civil Guard has issued a series of recommendations to avoid being a victim of the "seed": go to the ATM accompanied, cover the ATM keyboard with your hand or an object when entering the pin code of your credit or debit card, do not withdraw money if there are people with suspicious behavior around the ATM, check that the vehicle is locked before leaving it, watch your belongings even if they are already stored in the car and completely lock the vehicle if someone approaches claiming that a tire is flat and offers to help.