The National Police, in collaboration with the Georgian Interior Attaché, has dismantled an itinerant criminal group specialising in forced entry robberies at homes across various Spanish cities. The operation resulted in 13 arrests, with eight individuals already remanded in custody, and has cleared up at least 27 robberies committed between December 2025 and March 2026.
The investigation began after authorities detected a criminal cell based in Torrevieja. Comprising mainly Georgian nationals, the group was dedicated to a continuous campaign of domestic burglaries. According to the National Police, the gang used a property in the Alicante municipality as a logistics base to plan their movements and criminal raids across different parts of the country.
Those arrested face charges of membership of a criminal group, robbery with force, falsification of documents, receiving stolen goods, and resisting and disobeying authority.
The organisation operated with a clear division of labour across two distinct branches. One branch, made up of Georgian citizens, was responsible for selecting and executing the break-ins. The other, involving Spanish nationals, was tasked with selling the stolen items through legal establishments located in Llíria (Valencia) and Madrid. Investigators believe the group was highly organised, with specific members handling surveillance and target selection, while others managed logistics, such as renting vehicles and accommodation.
Furthermore, the network served as a support hub for other criminals arriving from abroad, providing them with temporary housing and the means to commit crimes within Spain.
The group targeted homes primarily in central areas of cities, including Madrid, Guadalajara, Valencia, Valladolid, and Ciudad Real. To confirm if residents were away, particularly during holiday periods, they used various techniques. One common method involved placing thin threads of glue on doors; if the thread remained intact, they knew the property was empty. They also conducted surveillance, rang doorbells, and monitored building entrances before acting. Once an absence was confirmed, they used specialised techniques to enter and steal mainly jewellery, watches, and cash.
The final phase of the operation took place last April as the group prepared a new crime wave. Arrests were made in Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, Guadalajara, and Logroño. Officers carried out nine simultaneous searches in properties and premises across Guadalajara, Madrid, Valencia, and Alicante.
During these searches, police seized numerous items of jewellery, three gold ingots, three high-end watches, equipment for clandestine smelting, 6,000 euro in cash, and various tools for breaking into homes and marking doors. The investigation remains open to solve further cases and return stolen items to their rightful owners.
