Gang Impersonating Police Officers Arrested for Armed Robberies in Alicante

Pistols, handcuffs, and counterfeit - and poor quality - National Police materials. These are some of the items used by a gang of thieves operating in the province of Alicante, posing as officers. The Civil Guard and the Local Police of La Nucía dismantled the gang after arresting six individuals in a parking lot in the Marina Alta locality, following their latest robbery in Guardamar del Segura.

During the assault, one of the gang members handcuffed the victim and threw them to the ground, as this newspaper has learned. The arrested individuals, of Moroccan, Romanian, and Spanish nationality, face charges of robbery with violence and intimidation, illegal possession of weapons, and belonging to a criminal group.

Investigation sources indicate that the arrested individuals gathered to commit robberies dressed as police officers, but also engaged in other illicit acts with other criminals or individually. Two of the detainees alone have accumulated over 60 offences.

The alleged criminals resided in the provinces of Alicante and Murcia. Two of the three vehicles seized from the criminal network were rented from a dealership in Murcia. The third belonged to the victim of the assault in Guardamar del Segura, from whom they stole more than 5,000 euros.

The operations began on October 15, when the Local Police of La Nucía received a report about suspicious individuals refueling a vehicle with a jerrycan in a municipal parking lot.

Upon arrival, officers found six men alongside three vehicles, carrying various types of weapons and materials bearing the National Police logo. Due to the seriousness of the situation, they requested support from the Main Post of the Civil Guard in Altea, whose officers responded immediately.

In a joint inspection, the officers proceeded to identify the suspects and verify the origin of the cars and the seized materials. During the intervention, they received information about a violent robbery that had just occurred in Guardamar del Segura, where several hooded individuals, posing as police officers and carrying firearms, balaclavas, police badges, and handcuffs, had stolen a vehicle and other valuables.

Checks confirmed that the description of two of the suspects matched that of the robbery perpetrators. Additionally, two of the cars found corresponded to those used in the assault, and the third was the vehicle stolen in Guardamar. Among the seized items were 5,256 euros in cash and other effects belonging to the robbery victim.

As a result of this joint operation, the six individuals were arrested as suspected perpetrators of robbery with violence and intimidation, illegal possession of weapons, and belonging to a criminal group. The arrested, men aged between 24 and 50 with criminal records for property crimes, have been brought before the Investigating Court of Villajoyosa, which has ordered their release with precautionary measures.

The stolen items have been returned to their rightful owner, and the investigation has been taken over by the Territorial Judicial Police Team of Almoradí. The Civil Guard and the Local Police of La Nucía emphasize the importance of citizen collaboration and institutional cooperation in combating such crimes, which pose a threat to community safety.